


In Too Deep

by everystareverywhere



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Austenland - Freeform, F/M, Jane Austen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-03-21 20:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3703873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everystareverywhere/pseuds/everystareverywhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Tyler has always loved Jane Austen’s world and when she has the chance to spend a vacation at Austenland, a resort that makes you feel like you are living in Austen’s time period, Rose can’t give up that chance at her happily-ever-after, Jane Austen style.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the movie and book 'Austenland.' The book is by Shannon Hale and the movie stars Keri Russell and JJ Field.

**PROLOGUE**

_“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”_

 

When Rose was thirteen-years-old, her best friend Donna made her watch the BBC version of _Pride and Prejudice._

The rest, as they say, is history.

 

**CHAPTER ONE**

Rose Tyler swiveled in her chair, looking aimlessly at the tiled ceiling. For some unknown reason, she began actually counting them. When she got to fifteen, she felt a tap on her shoulder and looked relieved when she saw her best friend, Donna McAvoy.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Rose said, sitting up straight before reaching for her purse that was in the bottom drawer. “I was going stir crazy. What’s going on today?”

“Nothing,” Donna answered, fixing her purse strap before leaning on the divider.

“Exactly. Absolutely nothing is going on. For a newspaper, we don’t really do much, do we?”

“First of all, we’re the _Gossip Now_ tabloids, not exactly _New York Times_. We don’t even have to have a real story, just as long as there is a picture that can back up our findings.”

“Yeah, remember that story Jo had about mannequins coming to life?” Rose said, standing up and walking with Donna towards the elevator.

“Oh, God, that one gave me the creeps. You’d think she could write about something that doesn’t scare us all half to death. I think she needs to go into science fiction writing.”

Rose made a face, agreeing with her friend.

As they boarded the elevator, Harry Saxon—a walking sexual harassment—stepped on along with them. “Ladies,” he greeted.

Rose and Donna moved closer together. They each gave a nondescriptive “morning.”

“Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“Hmm,” they both answered.

The ride down was silent, Rose and Donna sending each other looks. They both hated Saxon with a passion, but each knew better than to actually say something. After all, nothing travels faster in an office than gossip.

When the elevator thankfully opened, all three got off as Saxon gave what could only be described as a wicked grin and said, “See you later, ladies.”

Giving him a small nod, Donna and Rose turned towards the cafeteria. “Is it so hard to actually find a descent man around here?” Rose asked as they both got on the line to buy some food. “Except you, Donna. I think you managed to find the last descent man in the world.”

“Lee is pretty amazing, right? But Rose, you’re young, full of life, got the whole world in front of you. Why are you giving up already?”

“One word: Jimmy.”

“Okay, yes, he was bad,” Donna said, as she made herself a salad from the salad bar. Rose picked up at tuna salad sandwich, but then looked at it closer before placing it back down.

Picking up a turkey sandwich, Rose said, “It’s not like I’ve given up completely. It’s just…it’s just…I have a type, okay?”

“Yes,” Donna said, condescending. “Mr. Darcy. Of course. A _fictional_ man from a time period of what was it? Oh, yes, two _hundred_ years ago.”

“Could you say that without sounding patronizing?” Rose asked as she picked up a bottle of seltzer before walking towards the cashier.

“No, I don’t think I can. Rose, you have held on to that dream for _years_. Mr. Darcy does not exist, okay? There is no Mr. Darcy.”

Handing the cashier her ID card—that also worked as a credit card from the rag they called a newspaper—Rose looked at her best friend. “Donna, it’s not so much Darcy, okay? I mean, yeah, he’s great and if a guy like him showed up on my doorstep, I would not turn him away. But it’s more than that. It’s the time period itself,” she said, moving out of the way so Donna could pay. “I mean, it’s the society at the time, and the manners, and the polite conversation. I just love…I love everything about it. It’s just a simpler time. Is it so bad that I enjoy that?”

Picking up her tray, Donna walked over to the concession cart. “No, it’s not. It’s when you’re trying too hard to find a nineteenth century man in a twenty-first century world that we have a problem. Rose, move on. That time period is long dead, my friend. And no matter how hard you wish it, Mr. Darcy is not going to pop up from the lake, soaking wet.”

 

~*~

 

Rose knew that Donna had a point. She also knew that fantasying about living in Austen’s world was probably not healthy. So, that night she decided to put Darcy and Austen and all of that behind her, and move on to something else.

It wasn’t long before she was looking up Lizzy/Darcy fanfiction. It wasn’t as good as Austen’s words, but some stories came pretty damn close.

It was while she was searching the internet for her guilty pleasure that she stumbled upon something. Something she was sure Donna would hate to see:

 _Immerse Yourself in **Austenland**_ the ad read. The picture was of a man and woman dressed in Regency clothing, looking at each other with loving eyes. In the foreground was a building that could have Pemberley in any movie. Without much hesitation, Rose clicked on it. After all, there was no harm in _looking_ , now was there?

The page itself was over-the-top on Jane Austen. It was filled with pictures of the mansion—not Pemberley, apparently, but the Torchwood Estate—and people dressed in the clothing at that time. Women in dresses that had the empire waistline and men in tailcoats and high-hats. Rose clicked on the video which took a moment to load before showing a woman dressed very elegantly—if not over the top—in Regency clothing, with two men behind her, obviously servants, or at least pretending to be.

“ _What separates the casual Jane Austen fan from the aficionado? The number of times she has read Austens’ novels? Or her consuming love for Mr. Darcy? The answer to these questions can be found here, at Austenland. The world’s only immerse Jane Austen experience._ ”

The video went on to describe how every woman who comes to Austenland will experience their very own Jane Austen story, right down to the happily-ever-after. But more than that, they will fully experience life as Austen herself would have lived, though Rose noticed the message on the bottom that did proclaim that they resort had working toilets and air-conditioning.

It was almost too good to be true. A resort dedicated entirely to Jane Austen and how she would have lived her life—though, granted there were modern conveniences put in as well. Still, for a die-hard fan like Rose, this was a dream come true. It would have been too good of an opportunity to pass up.

However, Rose knew someone that would beg differently.

“No, Rose, no,” Donna pleaded as they walked to the travel agency together. It had actually been a couple days since Rose saw the advertisement, and since then she had not been able to get it out of her head. For a fan as die-hard as Rose, it was perfect! To spend two weeks living in the Regency era, the possibility of having a prospect though intriguing was not why she was going. Rose loved that era so, wanted so much to just jump into the pages of Austen’s books when she read them. Now was her chance.

“Donna, I made up my mind. I’m going. I’ve talk it over with Mum, and if I don’t buy anything but essentials for the rest of the year, I’ll be fine.”

“Your mother could not be okay with this,” Donna said, clearly knowing Rose’s mother and knowing how her reaction.

“Mum was fine with it.”

“Yeah. Right.”

Donna had reasons to be skeptic, and though Rose wouldn’t admit it, she was right. Jackie Tyler almost flipped when Rose brought the idea to her. Jackie could not understand why her daughter would want to go; want to waste all of her money on a fantasy when reality was right there for the taking. Rose knew that though her mother was a good woman with a loving heart, she was never going to understand why Rose needed to do this.

Arriving at the travel agency, named TARDIS, they immediately sat with a dark skinned woman named Martha Jones. She smiled brightly, and seemed enthusiastic to talk about Austenland.

“Oh, I was there! It’s beautiful! Do you want me to show you the tape?” she asked, reaching over and turning on her TV/DVD player.

“Yes,” Rose eagerly said as Donna mumbled, “No.”

It was the same video Rose had watched the other night, though there was a bit more information about the house and what the guests would experience.

“Is that a Chihuahua?” Donna asked, referring to what the woman who was talking to the camera held on her lap.

“It’s a lamb. Shush, I’m trying to hear.”

“Rose, this looks cheap.”

“It’s not, actually,” Martha said, swirling her chair back to them. “I’ve toured the grounds and it’s the real deal. Well, as real as you can get in 2014. But this is high class.”

“Yes, and how much would this “high class” experience cost my friend?”

Martha shifted in her seat. “Well, the lowest cost is three thousand pounds.”

“And, just out of curiosity,” Donna asked, “what is the highest cost?”

“Just below ten thousand pounds.”

“ _Are you out of your mind!?_ ” Donna shouted. “Who the _hell_ pays ten thousand pounds for a _vacation_?!”

“Donna, keep your voice down,” Rose said, softly, though she will admit, hearing it said so casually made her light-headed. “I’m not paying ten thousand pounds. I’ll go for the low one, okay?”

“Rose, that’s _three thousand pounds_. Are you really going to blow your entire life savings on an ‘Austen experience’?”

“Now, here at TARDIS, we are not just another run-of-the-mill vacation place. This is what we refer to as a LC: life changer.” Looking at Rose, Martha continued, “You get to play the heroine of your very own Jane Austen story. Would you like to see some more pictures? Perhaps of the staff?”

“Yes,” Rose said, leaning forward as Donna groaned in her seat.

Martha pulled out a folder from the cabinet behind her and started taking out pictures. “Now, I can’t guarantee who you’ll see, because the actors do change, but here is one of your possible prospects named Barnaby.” Martha held a picture of a man wearing a white wig, trousers, and a truly toned six-pack. “He’s a vegan. He enjoys nightly dips in the pond and he has a pony named Sparkles Pancake.”

Rose looked up at her. “You’re joking, right?”

Martha cracked a smile. “Yeah. Everything was true except the pony one, but wouldn’t that have been a hoot.”

“Yes, hysterical. You’re making jokes while my best friend is blowing her life savings on a _vacation_!”

“Look, the choice is entirely up to you. But I’m just going to tell you that every stay at Austenland ends with a real live ball. As in happily-ever-after. For a Jane Austen fan, that is just too good of a possibility to give up. No matter what package you choose, you will have your marriage proposal at the end.”

“You have _got_ to be kidding me.” Donna leaned forward. “Marriage proposal?”

“Every book ends with the heroine either getting engaged or married,” Martha answered.

“I have read the books,” Donna said, somewhat nastily. “But this is ridiculous. To go through all of this, just so some guy in a top-hat can give a fake proposal?” Turning to Rose, Donna said, “Rose, Sweetie, this is ridiculous. You’re going to go through all of this to come home to what? Nothing. Because everything about this is fantasy, down to the marriage proposal. Why don’t you save up for a real life-changer?”

“Like what?”

“Well, like a man who is not pretending to be from the 1800s?”

“Maybe you should come back,” Martha said to Rose. “Without your friend. And then we can talk about package plans. Maybe a layaway plan.”

“For God’s sake,” Donna muttered as she stood up and walked towards the door.

Martha and Rose stood up as well. “Thank you so much.” Rose said, shaking Martha’s hand and running after her friend.

“Donna! Wait up!” Rose yelled, running after her friend.

Donna stopped and turned to face Rose. “Honey, I know you. And I want you to be happy. But I need you to know that I do not support _this_. Rose, _Austenland_ is for women who want to feel young again and immerse themselves in a place where men are paid to want them. That’s not you. You’ll deny it, but you want to go only so you can find your Mr. Darcy.”

“I want to go for _me_ , Donna. I want to go because I love that era. Because I want to be a Jane Austen heroine for God’s sake!”

Donna nodded. “Fine. I just think that it’s not going to live up to what you fantasized, though.”

“I bet it will.”

Donna shifted and place her hands on her hips. “You want to put a wager on it?”

Rose copied her actions. “Yes.”

“Fine. If I win, you have to…er…You have to throw out all Jane Austen memorabilia you have. Except the books, I’ll let you keep them. But those freaky dolls you have over your bed, and the thousand of teacups you have. I mean, Rose, I know you’re British, but you don’t need every single teacup in existence.”

“Fine. And if I win, you have to name your firstborn son Darcy.”

Donna made a face. “Darcy McAvoy?”

Rose held out her hand. “Deal?”

After a moment, Donna took hers. “Deal.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next week, Rose crossed each day off on her calendar, eagerly awaiting the date with the big red circle around it. The day after Rose and Donna went to the TARDIS travel agency, Rose went by herself to make the arrangements. It turned out, Austenland wasn’t too far away, though if Rose really did live in 1800s, it would take at least three days to get there. Thanks to modern transportation, it would just take a good five hours. First she had to take a train from King’s Cross to a small town named Leadsworth, where a coach will met all passengers at the station before taking them to the half-way house—in this sense, half-way meant before officially arriving at Torchwood Estate. There she would spend one night, and in that one night, Rose was going to learn everything she needed to know about the Regency era.

While Donna was finally on Rose’s side of the situation, Jackie Tyler was not. “It’s just stupid, is what it is,” Rose’s mum said the day before she left. Rose was instructed to not bring much of modern conveniences, but she did pack some clothes, her hair and make-up accessories, as well as _Pride and Prejudice_.

“Mum, we’ve had this discussion, yeah? Like twenty times. It’s already paid for. I’m going.”

“Complete waste of money, that’s what I say.”

“Mum…”

“I know, you’re not going to listen to your mum, though she’s the one who raised you. Rose, I want you to be happy, but spending all your money on some vacation may not have been the smartest thing you have ever done.”

“It’s not all my money,” Rose said, defensively. _A good portion of it, but not all_.

“I just hope you made the right decision,” Jackie said, before leaving her daughter to finish packing.

And it was those words that sat in the back of Rose’s mind the entire trip to Leadsworth. Both Donna and her mother were at King’s Cross to see her off, but neither of them were overly excited. Mainly because they both thought how horrible of an idea this was. But Rose thought it was good. She was going to get her happily-ever-after Jane Austen style, and nothing was going to stop her.

However, Donna’s words about this being a place for needy women came back to Rose when she saw the woman standing by the AUSTENLAND sign when she finally arrived at Leadsworth. The woman was older than Rose—clearly in her forties—though she too had unnaturally blonde hair. She was also wearing a top that was much too revealing and tight jeans. In front of her was a trolley holding at least five bright pink luggage cases on it.

“Er, ‘ello,” Rose said, walking up to the woman. She fixed her shoulder bag before saying, “Is this for Austenland?”

“Yes, it is, mate!” the woman—clearly American—said in a horrible English accent. “Are you going to the Darcy place as well?”

“Er, yeah. I am. Yes. I love _Pride and Prejudice_ , don’t you? Though _Emma_ is my second favorite.”

“Oh, I’ve never read the books,” the woman admitted, dropping her accent. “But this sure looked like an interesting place! Plus we get married by the end! Tally-ho!”

Rose had the feeling that the woman actually thought she was getting married in two weeks. Oh boy. Deciding to change the topic, she said, “I’m Rose, by the way. Rose Tyler.”

“Oh, goody! Introductions!” The woman grabbed a folder from the top of her pile and opened it up before saying in an over-dramatic British accent, “I’m Miss Charming! Elizabeth Charming!” Lowering the folder, she said without the accent, “I wanted Elizabeth Bennet, but the woman in charge said no. Apparently that’s the name every woman goes for. Who knew? But I then asked for Charming and she said that was fine.”

“It’s a beautiful name. I can’t wait to pick my name.”

“You could pick Miss Pepperpot. Or Miss Wiggly-Wiggins!”

Raising her eyebrows, Rose was about to respond when a car reminiscent of the early 1900s pulled up. “Oh, look at that!” Miss Charming said, her eyes wide. “Looks like something right out of Austen’s movies!”

_Oh, boy._

 

~*~

 

Luckily the trip to the half-way house was not a long one, because although Miss Charming was very nice, she was a bit…well, over-enthusiastic. She was fascinated by everything around her, and had to point it all out to Rose. Not that Rose minded too much, it was just…after a while it got on her nerves. However, when they finally reached the house, Miss Charming wasn’t the only one jumping in her seat.

The chauffer opened the door and helped both ladies out. A woman dressed exactly like how Rose pictured Lady Catherine De Bourgh stepped forward, a ladies maid behind her. Lady Catherine was dressed in a light blue gown, lace adoring her collarbone. A bonnet wrapped around her head, her curls pushed out. The ladies maid wore a much more subdued dress, a white apron over it, a white laced bonnet on her head. She stood behind Lady Catherine the entire time, not opening her mouth once.

“Welcome to the Regency era!” Lady Catherine’s-look-alike said, her arms opened wide. “I am Mrs. Litchfield and I welcome you both here!” Looking at the older woman, Mrs. Litchfield said, “Miss Charming, I hope your travel was endurable.”

“Oh, yes!”

Mrs. Litchfield looked over at Rose, and her face fell. “Rose Tyler, I presume.”

Rose noticed her odd behavior, but was too excited to really comment on it. “Yes. And I know I need a pseudonym, so I was thinking perhaps Miss Joyful, perhaps?”

“Oh, I like that!” Miss Charming said.

Rose smiled. “Yeah, or maybe—”

“Your name has already been decided. It’s Miss Wolfe. That’s ‘wolf’ with an ‘e.’ Now, if you will both just step this way,” Mrs. Litchfield said, turning her back on the two ladies and walking into the house. “Oh, and Adam? Could you bring their luggage in? And get the carriage ready to take us up to the manor tomorrow.”

Rose stood there, stunned. _Wolfe_? Why did Elizabeth get to choose her name, but Rose had to be stuck with _Wolfe_? That was a horrible last name. Would have just been better if she kept her own name.

She felt someone lightly tap her in her back. Turning her head, she saw their chauffer—Adam, presumably—standing there with a bit of a grin. “Good luck,” he said.

“Er, thanks.”

Since everyone else was inside, Rose quickly caught up to them, trying to take everything in at the same time. The house was done up almost too overboard, something on every wall—let it be china or a painting that would have been popular at that time. She followed the three ladies into what would be now called a dining room, that had a table in the middle, three chairs placed. One on one side, two on the other. Mrs. Litchfield sat down in the one seat and gestured to the other two seats, where Miss Charming and Rose quickly sat down.

On the table in front of them were two teapots, a strainer, a container filled with tea leaves, a cup of cubed sugar, and all kinds of finger sandwiches. Miss Charming instantly began making herself a cup of tea while Rose took a sandwich.

“Complete immersion in the Regency era is the only way to truly appreciate Austen’s England,” Mrs. Litchfield said. “Wouldn’t you say so, Miss Charming?”

It was clear that she was not paying one bit of attention. However, Elizabeth looked up and said, “Oh, blimey yes!” in her horrible accent.

“Just to avoid any confusion, I’d like you to know that we do offer several distinct experiences.” Barely glancing at Rose, she continued, “You have paid for the Basic Copper package, Miss Wolfe. However, you, Miss Charming, and another lady who will be staying with us, are part of the Platinum Elite package.” Glancing back at Rose, Mrs. Jones said, “I’m sure you understand that there will be some exclusions to your trip.”

Rose nodded. “Yes, of course. I mean, I’m just so excited to be here, and I’ve…this is like a fantasy coming true, you know?”

Mrs. Litchfield gave a tight smile. “Yes. Of course.” She gave a slight cough before continuing. “All of my guests will experience romance with one of our actors, I can assure you. But I must emphasize there is to be no touching—”

Miss Charming gave a giggle. “Not a chance,” she muttered under her breath.

“—Other than the necessary social graces. I also expect all my guests to maintain appropriate manners and conversation and to eschew all things modern. Any flagrant disobedience will result in the early termination of your stay.”

“I understand,” Rose nodded.

“Me too!” Miss Charming said around a mouth of food.

Mrs. Litchfield gave another tight smile before drinking her tea.

 

~*~

 

Mrs. Litchfield took the two ladies upstairs where there was a small bathroom for them to use. Apparently their lessons started straight away, and Miss Charming was to go first. “I’ll just pop to the loo!” she said, before going into the bathroom.

Mrs. Litchfield crooked her finger to Rose. “Now, Miss Wolfe,” she said as she lead Rose to another room, “I must explain to you that as previously mentioned, you do not have full access to everything. However, you are paid in full. I would not have you worry that we will not take care of you just because you are not our usual type of guest and there is no chance, given your economic conditions, that you will be returning. That said, let me assure you that we will still do all in our power to make your visit, such as it is, enjoyable.”

 _Well,_ Rose thought, _that at least explains the looks she’s been giving me. And the unfairness._ “I understand.” _You witch._

“Wonderful. Now, in this room we have some outfits that you can choose. You can pick any or all outfits from this area over here. And do remember that you do not keep them at the end of your stay. They are retails.”

“Right.”

“And before I forget, all modern technology, please.”

“Right. Of course.” Rose thought quickly, but decided not to hand over her phone. She couldn’t go two weeks without talking to Donna, let alone her mother. She had to have it. Besides, like Mrs. Litchfield so nicely pointed out, she won’t be returning. So why shouldn’t she break the rules, if only a bit? Instead, she handed over only her iPod.

“Is that it?” she asked, clearly not believing. When Rose only nodded, however, Mrs. Litchfield only sighed before leaving the room.

Rose walked over to the dress and fingered them lightly, trying to take it all in. The dresses were not gorgeous, but they would do. They resembled what Lizzy Bennet wore in the 2005 version of _Pride and Prejudice_ , more than anything else. Very down-to-Earth.

 _Lovely_.

Before Rose could take one out though, Miss Charming came into the room wearing nothing but a towel. “You have to hand over your clothes,” she whispered, since Mrs. Jones’s ladies maid was right behind her. “For the next two weeks, everything we wear is _this_!” She gestured to the clothes around them. “Even the underwear!”

Rose figured it was because Mrs. Litchfield really wanted her guests to feel like they’ve entered the 1800s; however, she would have been fine with wearing her own undergarments instead of having to corset and bloomers.

Rose went to the bathroom, which thankfully had a working shower and toilet. Taking what was probably going to be her only shower in two weeks, Rose took her time. Let the water soak her. When she was finally done, she opened the curtain to find that her clothes were all gone, only a towel left behind. That would explain why Miss Charming walked in wearing only that earlier.

Wrapping the towel around her, Rose slowly walked into the dressing room to find Miss Charming wearing the undergarments of the time and having her hair done up. She looked like she was in pain, but still smiled when she noticed Rose.

“Oh, Miss Wolfe, isn’t this lovely!” she said before grimacing.

“Where are my clothes?” Rose asked.

For the first time, the ladies maid spoke. “You will retrieve them at the end of your stay. For now, they serve no purpose.”

 _Other than keeping me comfortable_.

Rose was quickly taken by another ladies maid behind a separator, where she too was put into bloomers and a corset. Looking down, Rose couldn’t help but admire that for the first time ever she actually had cleavage. When the ladies maid went to get the hair supplies, Rose quickly shoved her mobile into her cleavage.

When Rose was eleven, her best friend Shireen wanted to curl up Rose’s hair. For one hour, Shireen did nothing but pull on Rose’s hair, making almost clops of it fall out. By the end, the look was so horrible that Jackie instantly fixed it. But what Rose experienced then was nothing to what was happening now. The ladies maid seemed to be pent up on aggression and decided to take it out on Rose’s hair. She pulled and tugged, trying to get all the knots out before curling in with an electric curler—apparently it was okay to have _some_ modern conveniences; Rose suspected it was the conveniences that Mrs. Litchfield enjoyed that slipped under the radar.  When she was done, Rose looked into the mirror. Unlike many years prior, Rose expected to be horrified by what she saw, but she was not. Her hair had more of a natural wave to it than actual curls and she had two small curls that graced her temples; otherwise all hair was pulled away. She actually looked good.

Rose smiled at her reflection and the ladies maid informed her that Mrs. Litchfield did allow make-up, as long as it looked natural. Rose nodded her agreement before picking up some blush.

After both ladies were finished and picked out a dress to wear—Miss Charming in an obviously-not-from-the-nineteenth-century hot pink dress and Rose in a light blue empire waist gown that was her favorite out of all of her choices—they were called downstairs to the main dining room.

If any furniture was in the room, it was pushed to the side to allow for much needed space. Both women walked in and Rose instantly noticed Mrs. Litchfield —still wearing the same outfit as before—and the chauffer standing in the corner talking. When Mrs. Litchfield looked up and saw them, she came right over saying, “As you will have an opportunity to attend formal dances and a ball, you must perfect a minuet and two country dances. Adam, come here.”

Adam stepped forward. Instead of wearing his chauffer’s outfit, Adam was now wearing breeches with a white button down shirt and black boots. Miss Charming growled when she saw him.

Rose thought that he was good-looking, though he was probably more pretty than handsome. He had a young face, dark black hair, and brown eyes. He also looked completely bored.

“This is Adam. He is the gardener at the main estate, but I have taught him dances that he will now demonstrate with you.”

Rose stepped forward. “Hello. I’m Rose.”

“No, you’re _not_!” Mrs. Litchfield all but screamed. “You are _Miss Wolfe_! And a proper lady waits to be introduced by a common third party, _Miss Wolfe._ And he is a servant, therefore you must not talk to him. Now,” she said after she paused for some breath. “Let us begin. Miss Charming, you can go first.”

Rose took a seat by the wall and watched as Adam and Miss Charming danced around the floor. Mrs. Litchfield had to continually correct the guest, who kept mistepping or stepping on Adam’s feet. Every time she did something wrong, however, Miss Charming responded with, “Criky!” or “Blimey!” with her horrible accent.

It was about an hour later before Mrs. Litchfield said with a tight smile, “Okay, dear, I think—I think you’re finished. You did well.”

She did far from well, but Miss Charming smiled as she walked over to Rose.

“Miss Wolfe. Come here.”

Rose stood up and walked across the room, coming face-to-face with Adam. He was only slightly taller than her, but he looked at her with a small grin. Rose couldn’t help but grin back.

“Now, you bow,” Mrs. Litchfield said.

Rose curtsied the best that she could as Adam bowed down. Mrs. Litchfield called the motions, and Rose spun, minced, wove, and swerved. It was unlike any dance Rose had ever done before. Instead of a traditional waltz, Rose barely touched Adam, except for the hand-on-hand as they passed each other. The dances were long; no wonder Lizzy talked to Darcy throughout it. Without talking, dancing was rather boring. It almost forced the two people to talk to each other.

She wasn’t too bad, Rose thought, as they bowed once more, finishing the dance. Mrs. Litchfield barely corrected her, yet it was obvious that she was not impressed that Rose knew the dances as well as she did. It should not have surprised Rose to barely get a response from the older woman, though it did.

After a moment, Mrs. Litchfield informed the ladies that diner was at twenty hundred hours before leaving the room. Rose wished she still had her watch on her, but of course since that was modern technology, it was taken away.

Instead she went to her room for the night, a small room with just a bed, dresser, pitcher, and bowl in it. She did notice the toothbrush on the dresser and was glad that she wouldn’t have to brush her teeth with twigs and chalk.

But as she sat on her bed, wearing clothes from over two hundred years earlier and exhausted from dance moves that no one ever did anymore, Rose wondered if this would be worth it. Her mother and Donna’s voices rang throughout her head, telling her that this was a colossal mistake. However, she was firm in her beliefs that this vacation, unlike many things in her life, would have a happy ending.


	3. Chapter 3

“Now remember ladies, there are rules that must be followed while living in this time period. I went over it briefly yesterday, but I dare say it needs repeating. No knives with fruit or fish; the acids in the food with mix with the silver and turn it tarnish. Remember, you do not acknowledge the servants, not during the day, not even at dinner. And please remember to control yourself around a member of the opposite sex. You two are young—” Miss Charming giggled, “—single women, and therefore should never be alone with a gentlemen unless chaperoned or in movement, such as walking, running, or in a carriage. No touching, unless it’s for society’s purpose. For instance, when he helps you down from a carriage. No familiar talk, no intimate questions, and no discussions on anything that could be considered modern. Have I made myself clear?”

Mrs. Litchfield looked at the two women as a headmaster looks at two disobedient children. Rose was half-tempted to bow her head and say, “Yes, ma’am.” Instead, both she and Miss Charming nodded their understanding. From the moment Rose had arrived in the dining room in the morning, Mrs. Litchfield had been on both of their cases about behaving correctly. Rose may have been more interested in what she was saying if she wasn’t so tired. She didn’t know if it was because of the finance situation or if that was how beds were in that time period, but thanks to the lumpy bed, Rose barely got any sleep. She kept hiding her yawns behind her paper fan.

“Now, you two will be off to the Torchwood Estate where you will meet your fellow guests. A story has been made for each of you, and I ask you to follow it carefully. Remember, staying high in society is all that matters in this society.” She handed each lady a folder. “No matter how low you may be. Now, the carriage is waiting for both of you. You should be at the house in about thirty minutes. Adam has already taken care of your luggage. I will see you again for the ball!”

Rose and Miss Charming both walked out of the cottage, Miss Charming giving a tiny jump when she saw the carriage. It was beautiful, Rose had to admit. There were two black horses pulling the deep blue carriage. Rose really felt like she entered Austen’s world, if only for a moment.

As they got onboard the carriage—Adam once again playing chauffer, though he was dressed more like a servant from the 1800s than a chauffer from modern times—Mrs. Litchfield waved to the two women and called out, “Take care, my girls! Give my love to my sister!”

“Sister?” Miss Charming said, having finally settled herself. “What does she mean sister?”

Rose opened the folder and took out her biography.

_Miss Rose Wolfe, an orphan of no income, is visiting Mrs. Harriet Jones, the sister of Mrs. Lichfield. Mrs. Jones and her husband have agreed to take Miss Wolfe in for two weeks as she passes through to the next town._

“Wow,” Rose muttered. “I’m an orphan?”

“Oh, look!” Miss Charming exclaimed, pointing to her paper, “I’m worth two thousand pounds! I’m rolling, ain’t I?”

Rose looked back at her folder. There was more information about what was custom at the time, but Rose could barely pay attention. Instead she watched the scenery go by and tried not to jerk every time the carriage found a pothole. Miss Charming, on the other hand, pointed out everything she saw and fantasized out loud about what the next two weeks will bring.

When they turned a corner, however, Miss Charming’s words died in her throat. “Oh, blimey.”

Rose nodded. “Ditto.”

The house before them was unlike anything Rose had ever seen. A wondrous two floor mansion sat before them, tan in color, but alive with the green grass that laid before it. There was a running river just west of it, and a forest that laid behind it. Rose wondered just how big this place really was, because it looked huge. And for the next two weeks, it was home.

Two grand doors opened just as Rose and Miss Charming were helped down from the carriage. An older woman and gentlemen stepped out, both with shining smiles. “Hello, dear ladies! How wonderful it is to see you!” The woman wore a dark brown dress with little jewelry. The man wore tan breeches, a black waistcoat, and top hat, and a smile that could not be false. “I am Mrs. Harriet Jones, and this here is my husband, Wilfred Jones. We are so happy that we can assist you on your journeys! My sister has already written to me to inform me of your situations!” Looking at Miss Charming, Mrs. Jones said, “You must be Elizabeth Charming! Oh, my dear, my sister has told me that you do indeed live up to your name!” When she looked at Rose, her smile did not fade, which made Rose instantly like her. “And you must be Rose Wolfe! How marvelous to have you both here! Please, come!”

As the women passed Mr. Jones, he reached out and took each of their hands, giving a simple kiss the back. Mr. Jones was a much older man who had white hair that was peaking out of his hat and a twinkle in his eyes. He seemed to be enjoying himself very much.

“Now, before we have tea, I must inform you that we do have others staying in the house as well. I do hope you won’t mind,” Mrs. Jones said, walking into the foyer. Rose looked around, absolutely stunned at what was surrounding her. Rich rugs underneath her, paintings on every wall, china on every shelf. In Mrs. Litchfield’s home it was like she was trying too hard. Here, Rose felt like she just stepped right into Pemberley. “Oh, Mr. Jones, is it not nice to have a full house once again?” 

“Yes, my dear, I do say it is.”

“However, if you would prefer we can show you where you’ll be sleeping before we have tea.”

“Oh, yes!” Miss Charming said, once again over-enunciating her words. “Crikey, that would be lovely!”

“Er, yes. Please,” Rose said.

Nodding, Mrs. Jones lead them to their rooms. Rose felt like she needed a GPS to be able to locate where the rooms were. They seemed be to going around in circles, though Mrs. Jones knew where she was going. That at least was comforting.

“Miss Charming, here is your room,” Mrs. Jones said, opening the door. Inside was a huge room with a king size bed in the middle, a canopy over head. There were at least two dressers, a couch, and a vanity. Everything in the room was some shade of gold, which made it seem even richer.

“Oh, this is lovely!” Miss Charming said, going further into the room. She spun around and proclaimed, “This is bloody brilliant!”

Mrs. Jones squished her lips together. “Yes. Quite. Now, Miss Wolfe, let me show you your room.” They walked further down the hall before she opened another door. “I do hope you find this much accommodating.”

Rose’s room was much smaller than Miss Charming’s room, and was not supplied with as much furniture. It had a smaller bed in the middle, no canopy, only one dresser, a very small vanity, and two armchairs instead of one couch. It was also blue and white, making it seem more beach like that the gold Miss Charming had. Rose knew she got this room because she wasn’t as “elite” as the other guests, but she found she didn’t care. This room was perfect.

“Yes,” she said, “I find this most accommodating.”

 

~*~

 

After an hour of wandering around her room, noticing everything on the wall, Mrs. Jones came back to inform her that everyone was gathered to have tea and “won’t you just come to meet my nephew and his friend?”

Picking up Miss Charming along the way, the women held their breath as the doors opened to the sitting room. There Mr. Jones sat on one of the two couches, a cup of tea in his hand, while another extremely handsome man sat across from him, also a cup of tea in his hand.

“Miss Charming, Miss Wolfe, I would like to introduce to you Captain Harkness. Captain Harkness, this is Miss Charming and Miss Wolfe.” Captain Harkness stood up, and Rose almost squealed with joy. He was so incredibly handsome, much better than that Barnaby Martha showed her a picture of back at TARDIS traveling agency. Captain Harkness was just about six foot with wavy black hair and sparkling blue eyes. He had a dimple chin and his smile looked like something Michangelo himself craved.

“Ladies, how nice it is to meet you both. I have never seen two more beautiful women in my life. Wouldn’t you say, Noble?”

Rose didn’t even notice the other man who was sitting in the corner of the room, behind the grand piano. He was holding up a book to block his face. Rose wondered why he hid himself. After a moment, he lowered it and Rose realized that he didn’t have some horrible scar or something along those lines. He was actually a handsome man. Unlike Captain Harkness, this man—Noble?—was more angular, his nose having a slight bump in it, freckles dusted across his face. His brown hair stood up straight, as though he gave up trying to tame it and his brown eyes looked bored and uninterested.

“Yes,” he said, looking at the women. “Lovely.”

Captain Harkness glared at his friend before turning back to the women. “My friend is being most rude, I apologize. That lumpbag over there is Mr. Noble, Mrs. Jones nephew and a good friend of mine.”

“A top of the evening to you!” Miss Charming piped up.

Mr. Noble stood up and slightly bowed his head. Both men were wearing waistcoats and breeches, though Captain Harkness was obviously being ambitious and wore red whereas Mr. Noble stayed with black.

“And this here,” Mrs. Jones said, gesturing to someone who was walking from the back of the room, “is Miss Clara Oswald.”

Miss Oswald was about the same age as Rose, with brown hair that was put up in an elegant bun and was wearing a bright red dress. Based off of her outfit alone, Rose would guess that she was another elite guest.

“Hello to you both!” she said, a genuine smile gracing her face. “I am happy to see you! I thought that I would have to be stuck with these two gentlemen all by myself. It is lovely to see two other…young…females!”

“Please, do sit down!” Mrs. Jones said, gesturing to the couches.

Mr. Noble sat first, with Miss Oswald next to him. However, Miss Charming must have picked Mr. Noble to give her her happily-ever-after, since she squeezed herself in between them. Mrs. Jones sat next to her “husband” and Rose next to her. Jack stood next to the fireplace, content.

“I do hope it will not rain tomorrow,” Miss Oswald said, after a moment of silence. “It would be lovely to take a turn around the gardens.”

Captain Harkness nodded his agreement, but before he could say anything, Miss Charming turned to Mr. Noble. “I sure would like you to turn me upside down in the gardens!” she said, giving him a wink.

“Excuse me?” he replied.

“I think,” Rose spoke up before Miss Charming could embarrass herself more, “Miss Charming just means she loves the outdoors.”

“Oh. Right,” he replied before looking away from Miss Charming, who did not seem to back down willingly.

Looking at Mr. Noble, Miss Charming leaned forward and held her eye open. At the same time, she was pushing her cleavage against him, something Rose was sure was against the rules here at Austenland. “Do you see something in my eye?”

“I—I am afraid I can’t see in this low light,” he said before Miss Charming pulled him closer.

Rose opened up her fan and pretended to cough into it to hide her laughter. He looked so uncomfortable, Mr. Noble, that Rose was sure he was thinking that he doesn’t make enough for this treatment.

“Oh, Mr. Noble!” Miss Charming laughed, “You really are quite a bloke!”

“It would appear,” Captain Harkness said, stepping in front of her, “that it is my duty to gaze into your eyes. I am a military man. I’d never shirk my duty.”

Rose wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw Mr. Noble rolling his eyes.

Taking her hand, the Captain helped Miss Charming up. Taking out a single eyeglass, he looked at her. Rose briefly wondered if this man was for real. “Yes,” he said, almost stunned. “Yes, there it is. Fire. I say, Miss Charming, you do live up to your name.”

Rose couldn’t take her eyes off of Captain Harkness and Miss Charming, feeling like she stepped right into Austen’s world. Though, perhaps she wouldn’t write a woman quite like Miss Charming, Captain Harkness seemed to be up there with Mr. Wickham. He knew exactly what to say and how to say it, though Rose doubted that Captain Harkness was deceitful as Mr. Wickham was.

A bell rang off, signally teatime. Miss Charming smiled. “Tally-ho!”

 

~*~

 

Rose was seated between Miss Charming and Miss Oswald, while Mr. Noble and the Captain were seated on the other side. Mr. and Mrs. Jones were seated on both ends of the table. Everyone was making polite conversation—except for Mr. Noble, whom barely said a word as he ate—Miss Charming the loudest of the bunch, though her enthusiasm was contagious. Rose was smiling along with her and giving light laughs, especially when the Captain made a remark back.

All of sudden, Mr. Noble almost jumped out of his chair and—if Rose didn’t know any better—a light pink flushed his cheeks. He coughed into his napkin and Rose looked around the table, wondering if anyone knew anything. It wasn’t long until she noticed Miss Charming grinning into her teacup. Rose had to hold back the laughter that threaten to explode. Though Rose did not know him long, she did know that Mr. Noble was definitely not the man for Miss Charming, nor would he enjoy some footsie under the table.

“Are you alright, Mr. Noble?” Miss Oswald asked.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Something on your mind?” Was it Rose’s imagination, or was Miss Oswald now flirting with him?

“No,” he answered sharply. “Nothing’s on my mind.”

 _How rude_ , Rose thought. She cleared her throat, however, and decided to join in on the conversation. “Mr. Noble, I hear there is a ball on our last night,”—Rose had to stop herself from grinning too broadly, but _she was really here!_ Talking like she just stepped out of one of Austen’s books!—“Do you enjoy dancing?”

“Not particularly.” He answered. He did not seem to say more than he had to. Much like a certain character Rose could think of.

“Oh, Mr. Noble, I am sure that you have escorted more than one fine lady onto the dance floor!” Miss Oswald said with a chuckle.

Rose watched through her eyelashes as Mr. Noble looked over at Mrs. Jones from the corner of his eye. Whatever she said or did, he turned back and with a smile that could almost have been a grimace said, “I look forward to having the pleasure of standing opposite you, my lady.”

“Dancing is truly a match-making custom!” the Captain said, giving a wink towards Miss Charming.

“It only works if both partners are equally fond of each other,” Mr. Noble replied.

“Well, you could say that about any social intercourse,” Rose said before she thought better of it.

“Intercourse?!” Miss Charming remarked, almost shocked that the word was used. But unlike Mrs. Litchfield, who would have almost choked Rose for using such a word, Miss Charming was almost thrilled such a word came up.

“I _mean_ ,” Rose said, clearing her throat, “such as talking to someone or having dinner with them.”

“Society demands that we engage in social intercourse—” Mr. Noble looked over at Miss Charming before looking back at Rose—“in order to seem courteous. Yet, in my good opinion, such actions are ultimately vulgar.” Once again his eyes turned towards Miss Charming, who was not paying the least bit attention to him, and therefore did not realize that she was just insulted.

“Do you really believe, Mr. Noble, that you can know the worth of a person simply at a glance?” It shocked Rose when she discovered that it was she herself who said those words.

Mr. Noble, however, did not look insulted at being questioned, but rather intrigued. “Can you tell me that within the first few moments of meeting each person in this room, you didn’t form firm opinions of them?”

“Perhaps. But I like to think my first impression of people could be wrong.” She couldn’t help but add, “Of course, first impressions can always be deemed correct.”

Mr. Noble tried not to grin.

“Miss Wolfe,” Miss Oswald interrupted, “I for one am certainly glad you are here! Another woman who understands the rocky road of love!” She leaned closer to Rose. “I hope you do not mind, but I had heard from my dear aunt Mrs. Litchfield, the tragedy that is your story.”

“What?”

“Oh, well, it’s just…I heard about how…unlucky you have been when it comes to…men’s affections. And at your age…with no husband…”

No longer wishing to play this role, Rose quickly stood up, though she didn’t notice Mr. Jones, Mr. Noble, or the Captain standing up either which was the custom at the time. Her head was spinning and she felt almost sick.

“Please, excuse me.”

She almost ran out of the room, not looking at any of them. She didn’t see Mr. Noble starting to move towards her, Miss Charming biting her lip, or Mr. Jones slowly shaking his head. Her embarrassment was too great. Instead she ran towards her room, trying not to give them the benefit of crying. She came here because she wanted to escape reality, not view it from a different perspective. This was suppose to be fun, but so far she’s been criticized for not having money and not having a husband.

Slamming her bedroom door close, Rose wanted nothing more than to get out of this ridiculous dress and into a pair of jeans, but of course she didn’t have one. Not proper attire, as it were.

“Rose? Rose!” It was Miss Charming, running towards Rose's bedroom room. Without waiting for proper encouragement, she slammed opened the door and went over to Rose. “Oh, Rose, I’m so sorry. You know, I know how it feels to be treated badly by stupid men. I do. I really do. Come, give me a hug!” Turning around, Rose knew that it would do no good, but at least it was nice to know someone was on her side. Getting a hug from Miss Charming, however, was not so much as wrapping one’s arms around another but rather being engulfed in perfume and silk.

“At least it’s not going to happen here, huh? I mean, you have to get a marriage proposal by the end, right?” Pulling back, Miss Charming continued, “You’ll feel better tomorrow! Just imagine all the people in the world who kill themselves! I bet they would have felt better if they just wanted until tomorrow. It’s like that song from that orphan girl, Annie—Do you know her? Do they have that play here?—Anyway, it’ll get better tomorrow. So, don’t kill yourself.”

“I’m not,” Rose said, though she doubted Miss Charming heard.

“If you need anything, I’m right down the hall. Well, not right down the hall, because you’re in the servants tower. But, you get my point.” She started heading towards the door before turning around and saying, “Oh, and FYI, the toilets here really do flush. You don’t have to use the chamber pot. One of the servant girls was telling me that people do, and they just don’t know what to do with …it. Anyway, see you later!”

With that Miss Charming walked out the door and Rose sat down on her bed, taking a deep breath.


	4. Chapter 4

It was decided the next day that they would all go out for a picnic (“Oh golly gee!” Miss Charming said when she heard). Captain and Miss Charming were walking up ahead, and though Rose couldn’t hear what they were talking about, Miss Charming looked completely uninterested. Miss Oswald was right behind them, Mr. Noble behind her, and Rose was bringing up the rear. Rose tried not to admire Mr. Noble too much—he was, after all, the Mr. Darcy of the group, and she knew she certainly was not his Elizabeth—but seeing him in breeches and a top hat almost did her in. She wondered if he knew how handsome of a man he was, though she figured he would doubt it very much.

Mr. Noble himself must have been lost in thought, for when Miss Oswald turned around to talk to him, he barely paid her any mind. She went up to the right side of him and tapped his left shoulder, making him turn around. However, since Miss Oswald was on his right and he turned left, all he saw as Rose, who quickly shook her head. When he turned right and saw Miss Oswald, he made that smile/grimace that he had made the day earlier.

Rose shook herself out of her silly daydream. Mr. Noble was handsome, but he was also looking like he wanted to be anywhere else on the planet instead of right here. She wasn’t sure if that was the role he was meant to play or if that was just his personality. She clutched her sketchbook to herself. Perhaps some alone time was what she needed most.

The group was a few feet in front of her when the Captain turned around, “Miss Wolfe, are you not joining us?”

“Oh, er, no. No, I think not.”

“Why ever not? Your company will surely be missed,” Miss Oswald said.

“No, I think I’ll just go find some shade.”

“If you’re sure,” the Captain replied.

“Well, maybe—” Mr. Noble started to say, but was cut off.

“Come now, Mr. Noble,” Miss Charming said, pulling the arm that Miss Oswald was not holding onto. “I have so much to ask you!”

Rose turned away quickly before one of them followed her. She needed some time away from everyone else and their fakeness, really. What she needed was a healthy dose of reality, and she was mildly happy that Donna was not here to hear this. She would have yelled, “I told you so!” so loudly she would have scared the poor horses.

She would have killed for a plate of chips right at that moment. A plate of chips and a can of iced cold soda. Oh, that sounded absolutely delicious. But instead she was getting food that she would never in a million years try and drinks that were okay, though they didn’t beat a nice cold soda.

Having found stables that, though the sign said no admittance for guests, Rose decided to be a rebel and go inside. It stunk to high heaven, but it was also away from everyone and quiet. Settling in, Rose opened her book and started sketching. It wasn’t until she was halfway through the face that she realized she was drawing Mr. Noble. Closing the book with a quick snap, Rose didn’t notice someone coming up behind her.

“You’re not allowed to be here,” a voice said.

Jumping up, Rose turned and saw the chauffer and dance partner from a few days earlier. Adam, was it? He was wearing dirtier breeches, a baggy shirt that was custom at the time, and a smile. “I swear I’m not spying on you or anything, but you’re not supposed to be here.”

“You caught me at a very unladylike moment,” she said, trying not to smile in return. Adam had to be close to the same age as her, but no more than three years older. He was also devilishly handsome, with his five o’clock shadow and deep brown eyes. His hair was slicked back, but still looked well put together, considering he was throwing haystacks.

“So, er, what brings you this far north?”

“Er, what?” Rose asked with a chuckle.

“Sorry.” He grinned. Rose’s stomach twisted. “I’m not really good at this. Pretending to be from the 1800s or whatever.”

“I’m probably not suppose to be talking to the servants anyway. I thought I was going to be a pro at this, considering how many times I’ve read all of Jane Austen’s books, but…I don’t know.”

“Maybe you need a coach.”

 _Is he flirting with me?_ Rose asked, and a part of her was actually hoping he was. “I don’t think so, but…Anyway, I’m Rose.” She held out her hand.

Adam took it. A strong grip. Rose liked that. “Adam. The chauffer, dance partner, and gardener.”

“Oh. The garden looks lovely.”

“Thanks.” He scratched his chin and said, “I’m supposed to be invisible, really. You’re not allowed to talk to me and vice versa. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to hear lectures about that, though. Don’t make eye contact, stay in the background, stay out of the way. But…” he shrugged. “It’s nice to break the rules, don’t ya think? Anyway, how do you do, I’m Adam Mitchell, lover of science fiction, football, and hamburgers.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to confide in Mrs. Litchfield any time so, so don’t worry about that.”

He smiled. “Glad to hear it. However, I am serious that we shouldn’t speak to each other. If we’re caught…”

He didn’t need to finish. Rose knew. “Yes, true. I’ll just go back…to that,” she said, giving a vague wave towards the house.

“Nice meeting you,” he said, giving a grin before walking back towards the back of the stables.

Rose grinned heartedly before walking out of the stables and towards the house. She couldn’t help but think of the encounter she just faced, it being the first real conversation she has had with anyone in days, it seemed. And it reminded her how crazy this was. A part of Rose wanted to leave immediately, even though she paid quite a bit of money to be here. But if she wanted to be humiliated, she didn’t need to leave London for that.

“Ah, Miss Wolfe!” she heard the Captain say. She looked up to see both he and Mr. Noble walking towards her. “I was just saying to Mr. Noble that I am sure Miss Wolfe had got lost in the forests and that we should go and find her.”

Looking at the men before her at their outfits and their posture, Rose muttered, “I don’t think I can do this.” It was too surreal, too much. She needed more of Adam and his dose of reality.

“What secrets do you have, Miss Wolfe?” the Captain said with a saucy grin. He really was a handsome man—almost too handsome for Jane Austen’s period. He did not fit the role of Darcy at all, and was too outgoing to be Bingley. The only person who’s description he would fit would be Mr. Wickham, though Rose felt he was much too nice to portray him. “I simply most know.”

“Captain, can’t you see that she is ill?” Mr. Noble said, walking closer to her. Rose didn’t feel ill, but maybe something to drink would be best. “Go get her some water!”

The Captain silliness faded as he apologized. “I’m so sorry, Miss Wolfe. I’ll get you some water, right away!” He ran back towards the house as Mr. Noble gently took Rose by the arm and lead her towards a bench.

“Do you need me to carry you inside?” Rose didn’t know who was more shock, Mr. Noble that he said that or Rose.

Once seated, Rose said, “That would be a sight. But no, I’m fine. Really. I’m not sick. I just feel so stupid.”

“Are you homesick?”

Rose looked up at him. She was probably throwing him off of his script and he had no idea how to bring them back. “No, I’m not homesick, I just…I don’t feel like I should be here. I can’t…I can’t pretend anymore.”

Mr. Noble sat down beside her. “You are serious, Miss Wolfe? Why, may I ask, are you here then?”

She gave a humorless chuckle. “You’d laugh if I told you.” On second thought—“No you wouldn’t. That’s not in your character.” He gave no reaction. Rose sighed. “Did that sound rude? I don’t mean to be rude. I just want to be ‘me’ again, whatever that means. I thought that maybe coming here, I would be able to fulfill a part of me that I thought I knew, but instead…Instead I’ve just been acting like only a part of me, and I don’t know what, preciously, I am looking for. God, that sounded daft, didn’t it?”

Mr. Noble was biting back a smile. She could tell. She must have been so amusing to him. The dumb woman who has no idea why she spent three thousand pounds on a vacation.

She leaned closer towards him, not realizing that they were pretty close to begin with. He didn’t move. “Tell me, Mr. Noble, how do you do it? How do you pretend?”

He opened his mouth, as though going to say something. But whatever it was was lost a moment later when he snapped his mouth shut and instead said, “Are you sure you’re not sick? Perhaps you need to lay down.” He quickly stood up and muttered, “Where’s Ja—the Captain  with that blasted water?”

Rose, feeling like a balloon with no air, sank back into her bench. Of course he wasn’t going to answer her. Probably couldn’t even stand being near her. This had be torture for him. She was the lowest of all the guests here. He probably thought it was below him to even keep with her company.

“Never fear, I have water!” The Captain’s voice rang out as he came with a glass of water. Handing it to Rose—who gulped it down—the Captain looked at Mr. Noble who was giving him a look. “What?”

When the glass was empty, Rose placed it next to her and said, “Well, gentlemen, now that you’ve found me, whatever will you do with me?”

Mr. Noble hit the Captain in the back before he could say a word. They shared a glance before both looking back at her. “I think,” Mr. Noble answered, “that perhaps you need to get out of the sunlight for a bit and go lie down.”

“I think you should stay out here with us!” the Captain answered joyously. “Enjoy the sunshine that only England can provide. I know! How about some horse riding? Oh, Miss Wolfe, please let us entertain you with some horse riding.”

Rose couldn’t say no, and graciously took the Captain’s hand that he held out. For some reason, Mr. Noble went along with them, though why he bothered, Rose knew not. He didn’t say a word to either of them the whole time, though from the glances Rose kept throwing at him, it wasn’t because he had nothing to say. She could almost have bet that he was biting his tongue, though for the life of her, she had no idea why.

Not that she said anything to him. She returned his silent treatment and instead focused on the Captain that seemed more than happy to have her attention on him. She wasn’t certain, but she could have sworn that she heard Mr. Noble mutter things under his breath. Things like “unbelievable,” “stop it,” and “ridiculous.” But she ignored him. Mr. Noble wanted to be hard and Darcylike, than she was going to play the part of Elizabeth Bennet. Enjoy everyone’s company, but his.

**~*~**

Never in a million years did Rose Tyler—no, Rose _Wolfe_ —think that she would ever be shooting a rifle, but there she was with Miss Oswald, Miss Charming, the Captain, and Mr. Noble, with Adam helping her fill it up. Adam kept glancing at her, which was making her smile which made him smile in return. Miss Oswald was talking Mr. Noble’s ear off, something that he was just _thrilled_ about. And poor Captain had to endure Miss Charming’s not so witty personality.

“I’ve never shot a hunting rifle before,” Rose said, holding it up like she had seen in movies.

Adam came up behind her. “Just hold the barrel there. And then gently pull the trigger.” He laid his arms over hers to help her position it. Rose flushed with pleasure, and though knew that this was wrong, was secretly pleased that it was happening at all.

Rose was so consumed with Adam, she didn’t notice Mr. Noble glancing over at them while Miss Oswald answered a question he didn’t remember asking.

“Hold it right there,” Adam said, almost sultry in her ear.

“I—I think I got it, yeah.”

Adam took a step back, though he kept a hand on her back. “Ready ladies?”

The other two women nodded before all three of them pointed their rifles to the sky.

“And pull!”

One of the servant pulled a string that had launched a stuffed bird up into the air. Miss Oswald just missed it and then flew backwards from the power of the gun. Miss Charming was staring at the Captain, not realizing that it had already started. Rose, however, shot it in one go. Another bird took off, and Rose shot that one as well. It seemed that she had a knack for this.

Pleased with herself, Rose smiled over at Adam, who grinned back, equally as happy.

“Well, Miss Wolfe, how talented you are!” Miss Oswald said, as Mr. Noble helped her up.

“Yeah, I guess I got the basics of it.”

“Did you really kill them?” Miss Charming asked. “I didn’t think we were supposed to?”

“Well, then what would we be having for dinner?” the Captain teasingly asked. “Anyone for puffin?”

 

~*~

 

Later that day, everyone was sitting in the drawing room, playing cards except for Rose who was sitting on the couch—was that the right term? Rose wasn’t sure—next to Mr. Jones who was an absolutely wonderful man. He was much older than Rose, but he certainly loved a good conversation and was able to stay in character, something Rose was finding harder and harder to do. All she really wanted was to watch some Netflix while wearing her pajamas, but alas that was not going to happen anytime soon. Not unless by some miracle the television was actually created in the 1800s as opposed to the 1900s.

Though Rose was having a lovely conversation with Mr. Jones, she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation at the table. It seemed to be a lot of Miss Charming talking—who would be surprised really?—and the Captain heavily flirting with her. Miss Oswald was trying to make conversation with Mr. Noble, but it seemed he wasn’t biting anything she was throwing at him.

“Crikey, Mr. Noble, that’s a barmy hand you got there?” Rose wasn’t sure if Miss Charming was talking about the cards or part of his anatomy, and just thinking that made her blush.

“I apologize,” he said in an almost bored voice.

“Apologize?! Don’t you know that means good? Right smashing?”

Someone at the table sighed and Rose would be hundred pounds it was Mr. Noble. “As you say, madam.”  

Captain Harkness spoke up. “You must take care with Miss Charming, Noble. I’m sure she could teach you all sorts of things.”

Miss Charming giggled with delight but Rose couldn’t hear her response because Mr. Jones asked her question about how she was liking her stay.

“Oh, it’s lovely, yes. The, er, grounds are very well kept.”

“Oh, that would be a great deal of thanks to my darling wife.” He winked. Was he just playing too or being serious? Rose wished she could figure out the difference.

 

~*~

 

The next morning, everyone was at the stables, getting set up to ride horses. Rose hated the fact that she had to sit side-saddled and wished she could sit regularly. But since she was going slowly, it didn’t matter too much, but still.

She and her horse were going peacefully for a while, not having any problems until it suddenly stopped. She had no idea why, but the horse refused to move. Mr. Noble jotted by, and tilted his hat towards her, but otherwise kept going. Not that she would have asked him for help anyway. The last thing she wanted was to show she didn’t have things completely underhand, especially in front of him.

Rose watched as everyone rode off and sighed. Of bloody course. Adam came up next to her, and got down from his horse. Rose gave a hopeless grin. “Something’s wrong with my horse.” She then muttered, “Probably because of the crappy package I’m under.”

Adam held up his arms and helped her down. “I’m going to have loosen you up. Give you a nice rub down tonight.”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me.”

Gently brushing the nose of the horse, Adam said, “The horse.”

“Right. ‘Course.”

Taking the ropes of both horses, Adam said, “I’ll be back in a crack with a new horse.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t come back. Rose didn’t have a watch on her person so she couldn’t check how much time had gone by, but she would roughly estimate about an hour. Tired of waiting, Rose headed back towards the house, especially when she saw storm clouds in the distance.

She felt foolish and stupid and every other word that meant idiotic. The more time she spent here, the more she wished she could just go _home_. This wasn’t what she had hoped for in the slightest and Adam—who was the one bright light in all of this—let her down. Why, oh why, couldn’t something go her way for once? Of course, just as she thought that, the sky let out a huge boom of thunder and rain came pouring down. Giving a shriek, Rose further into the woods, hoping to get out of the rain and eventually find civilization. Instead she found a road and Mr. Noble riding up not quite as wet as her, though pretty close.

“Did that stable boy abandon you?”

“No,” Rose instantly defended him, though she didn’t know why. “No, he’s coming right back.”

“Right.” He didn’t sound like he believed her. He got down from his horse and went over to her. “Well, I wasn’t raised to leave a woman alone in the woods. Come on.”

“No, it’s alright. Honestly.” She had to almost shout to be heard over the rain. It seemed like the sky had a vengeance on everything here on the ground.

“Come on. Up on the horse.”

“What? Both of us?”

“We’ll fit. Come on.”

Thunder boomed. Rain came down even harder.

“I don’t know, I mean, it might not work out, you know, for me.” He wasn’t listening to a word she said—surprise, surprise. He pulled her gently towards the side of the horse and put his hands on her waist. Rose tried really hard to be unaffected by that, really she did, but she couldn’t help the blush that rose in her cheeks.  

“One, two, three!” Holding onto her hips, he helped up get up on the horse. Rose shifted herself, but settled in sitting side-saddled. “Okay, we’re not going to be able to outrun the storm if you don’t straddle the horse.”

“Oh, I would, but I can’t. The dress…”

That seemed to be all he needed to hear before taking the bottom of her dress and ripping it, stopping right above her knee. “Hey!” she yelled.

She wasn’t sure but she thought she saw some redness in his cheeks. “Sorry,” he muttered. Louder he said, “It’s the only way. Now, forward.”

“Forward?”

“Yes, forward, move yourself forward. Right there. Now, take the reins. Here.” Without another word, he got up onto the horse, sitting directly behind her. She could feel his chest along her back and his legs straddling her from behind. Rose really tried to remain unaffected by this, but it was almost impossible. With his top hat, waistcoat, and breeches, not to mention soaking wet, Mr. Noble was like her fantasy come to life. Though she was no blushing virgin, she certainly felt it whenever she was around him.

“Now,” he said almost directly into her ear, something else that was incredibly distracting, “anyone who can shoot like you did can certainly ride a horse. Allons-y!” 

Suddenly the horse was taking off and Rose was almost thrown back onto him, if that was even possible. The ride back seemed to take forever, and yet before she knew it, there was the stable in the distance. The rain had finally let up as they went towards it, stopping just as they came onto the property.

“Rose.” Adam came out from behind the stables, the rein of a horse in both hands.

Mr. Noble stopped the horse and got off before gesturing for Rose to come down. “It’s a little difficult…”

“You can do it.”

“I know I can do it, it’s just…” Getting down was not graceful or elegant in any regard. Rose almost fell onto of him, and they both would have got down if he didn’t stable himself last minute. He had his arms wrapped around her, touching places that were completely inappropriate in any era. Finally she was on the ground and she gently pushed him away before fixing herself. “Thank you,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

“Rose.”

Both of them looked over at Adam who seemed stunned to see Rose in such a state. She doubted very much that she looked put together, but after what she had been through, that was not shocking.

“What the hell do you think we you were doing, leaving her alone like that!?” Mr. Noble yelled. Rose was stunned, having never seen him react like that to…well, anything. Up until now, he was basically quiet and kept to himself.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said, sounding sincere. “I was coming back.” He gestured to the horses.

“It’s fine. I was fine, Mr. Noble.”

“Miss Wolfe!” someone shouted. All three of them looked over to see Miss Oswald running towards them. “Mr. Noble! Oh, we were all so worried! I was about to arouse a—Miss Wolfe! What happened to your dress?!”

Rose tried to cover herself, but it did no good. The huge rip kept showing itself, and therefore showing off her legs.

“I think,” Rose said to all three, trying to remain cool under the circumstance, “I’m just gonna, you know, powder my nose.”

Both Adam and Mr. Noble watched as she walked away. Mr. Noble took a deep breath before giving himself a tiny shake and bringing his horse back into the stable.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose couldn’t help but doodle a bit in her sketch pad. It wasn’t until she was halfway done with her drawing, did she realize she was drawing Mr. Noble’s brown eyes.

“A proper lady does not doodle the evening away, Miss Wolfe,” Mrs. Jones said from the card table, where she, Miss Charming, Miss Oswald, and Captain Harkness were playing.

Rose looked up from her drawing and wanted to comment that apparently playing cards was a better waste of time, but instead remained silent. She wasn’t the type to hold her tongue for long; Rose had no idea when she would finally burst, but she was certain it would happen any day now.

“You’re looking well, Mr. Noble,” Miss Oswald said to the man sitting in the corner, reading a book. It seemed that was all Mr. Noble did. Well, that and criticize everyone. And give Rose strange looks. “Did the rain help improve your spirits?”

“Hardly,” Mr. Noble muttered.

“I say, who needs the outdoors when you ladies are such a breath of fresh air?” Captain Harkness stated.

Rose barely refrained from rolling her eyes. He was so cheesy, it was almost ridiculous. The scary part was, he sounded sincere.

Damn, he was a good actor.

The women at the table giggled at his praise, and Miss Charming commented – in her ridiculous fake accent – “Captain, you really are a saucy monkey!”

Mr. Jones was making small talk to Rose, and as lovely as he was, Rose was tired of it. She was tired of having to seem pleasing all the time, being polite and civil. It was, to put it mildly, _boring_.

She excused herself and decided a walk was what she needed. Rose didn’t think it was impolite to walk the grounds by herself, but at that point she didn’t even care if it was. She just wanted to get _away_ from everybody. Everybody who was playing in this stupid charade.

Donna was right. She should have put the money towards something better. Like an actual future.

She wasn’t exactly sure how long she had been gone, only noting that the sun was starting its descent. Before she could turn around and go back towards the mansion, a smell caught her nose. A smell that was so heavenly, Rose actually closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Ah. _Chips_.

Rose could smell _chips_. And they smelt _amazing._

Following the scent, Rose found herself in front of a small shack—bigger than where they store farm equipment. Someone must be living in one of them.

Before she could help herself, she knocked on the door. Immediately she felt ridiculous. What was she going to do to? Beg for one chip? How stupid did that sound? She was just turning away when the door opened and Adam leaned against the doorframe, giving a grin.

“Figured.”

Rose tried to be offended, but the smell of chips was strong and Adam was really attractive. “What?” She crossed her arms, just to signify how rude he was being. Though, she was the one who knocked at his door.

He shrugged, completely nonchalant. “It’s just…I knew you would come sniffing around these parks.”

“And how did you figure that?”

“Because you don’t belong in there. Come. I’ve got chips and a soda. Want some?”

Rose stomached growled when she walked in and saw not only chips, but a bag from a chippy that mustn’t be too far. Oh, how wonderful a burger and chips sounded right now.

“If it’s no trouble.”

Adam shook his head. “Not at all. I always get too much, anyway. Like the leftovers me. Here, have a seat. I was just about to watch the match. You interested in that?”

Rose thought about her friend Mickey Smith, and how he always loved to watch the match. Thinking like that almost made her homesick, so she shook off the thought and focused on the present. “Not really. But I’ll watch anything now. And hand me one of those sodas. I’m dying for an actual drink.”

He handed her a can as he said, “Also, just…don’t tell anyone about this. About me. I’m not allowed to do this. At _all_. If Mrs. Litchfield knew about this…” He shook his head. “I had to sign about a hundred different documents stating that I was not quote, allowed to take away from the ambiance of the experience, end quote. I almost had to sign in blood that I wouldn’t bring any modern contraptions onto the premises.”

Rose thought about her mobile tucked under her pillow and said, “I won’t tell anyone. I swear.” She took a handful of fries and almost shoved them into her mouth. Oh, junk food never tasted better than it did right now.

“I’m so sorry about this afternoon, Miss Wolfe.”

“Rose.” Her mouth was full of food, so she doubted Adam even understood her.

So she wasn’t surprised when he asked, “What?”

She swallowed. “Rose,” she said again. “Call me Rose. ‘Wolfe’ isn’t even my proper last name.”

“Rose then. I’m sorry about the horses.”

She shook him off. “It’s fine really.”

“And that Mr. Noble had to save you.”

“I wasn’t lost. He didn’t need to save me. He was just being Prince Valiant.”

“The actors are paid to be valiant.”

Another reminder that this was all just some stupid game. She should have listened to Donna. “Right. Of course.”

“They must get some award or whatever for being more valiant.”

“Still, it’s nice to have a little break from them.” She pointed to the bag. “Is there a hamburger in there?”

Adam chuckled and handed her the bag. “Take what you want. I can always get more.”

“No, you…I’ll pay you back.” She paused. “As soon as I get money.”

Adam chuckled again. “Don’t worry about it. Really.” He leaned back on the very small couch where they were sitting. “So what do you want to watch? _Pride and Prejudice_?”

“Anything that is _not_ set in the 1800s, thank you very much.”

 

~*~

 

Rose ended up having a fantastic evening. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so long, and it felt like forever since she was truly and properly stuffed.

After they finished watching telly, Adam put on some music, and they danced horribly to the top 40 hits. This was the vacation Rose was hoping for. She just couldn’t believe that she didn’t fall for one of the actors, but rather one of the men who just happened to work here. She felt somewhat guilty for that, but then when she thought better of it, she wondered why she would feel bad. This was her vacation. Just because she didn’t have a Mr. Darcy picked out for her meant nothing. She was having a good time, and that was all that mattered.

And when Adam leaned in to kiss her when she said good-night, well, she was okay with that too.

 

~*~

 

“‘I cannot make speeches, Emma,’” Miss Oswald read aloud. The three women were in the sitting room, reading aloud from their favorite Jane Austen novel. Rose quickly picked up _Pride and Prejudice_ , while Miss Oswald’s hand went towards _Emma_. Miss Charming stood there for a moment and simply picked _Pride and Prejudice_ off the shelf and sat down between the other two women. “‘Of I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am.’” She read aloud for a few more minutes before sighing contently and turning towards Rose.

Rose gave a polite cough before reading. Though she loved the bantering between Darcy and Lizzy early on in the story, it was the scene at the end that almost made Rose giddy with excitement. The scene where they admit when their feelings for the other one changed. There was something about it. Rose wasn’t sure what, exactly. Maybe it was the first time in the novel that Mr. Darcy was vulnerable and she could almost see the love in his eyes as he spoke to Miss Bennet.

“‘How could you begin?’ she asked. ‘I can comprehend your going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning; but what could set you off in the first place?’ ‘I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I _had_ begun.’”

“Oh, I have one too!” Miss Charming piped up. She cleared her throat loudly before loudly reading (or at least, pretending to read), “Mr. Darcy said to Jane, ‘Jane, listen. Listen right now. If you were to sleep with me tonight, I would actually speak to you the next morning, unlike any man that you will meet a hundred years from now.”

Rose was certain that Miss Charming made up that speech—for more than one obvious reason—but she couldn’t help but wonder how many times Miss Charming was hurt and beaten down by the men in society.

“Men and women wouldn’t even touch each other before marriage in that—I mean, nowadays,” Miss Oswald gently said.

“Let alone be in the same room together. And Mr. Darcy would _never_ say anything like that,” Rose added. “No gentleman would.” She wished that was still true today.

 

~*~

 

A few hours later, the three women were in another sitting room, sitting on the couch. Miss Oswald was lightly singing to herself, looking around the room, as Miss Charming leaned back and closed her eyes, and Rose tried to remind herself why she thought this trip was a good idea.

“Please,” Miss Charming said to Miss Oswald, without moving a muscle. “Please, shut your hole.”

 

**~*~**

The next morning, the three women were back sitting on the couch, only this time they were sewing. Rose wasn’t too bad at it, though Miss Oswald was clearly an expert. Miss Charming…well, she would be getting it if it wasn’t for her gloves getting struck in the needle.

“Why are we sewing again?” Miss Charming asked, ripping her gloves at the fingertips as she pulled.

Rose sighed. She was so incredibly _bored_. “I guess this is how women must have spent a lot of their time.” How they didn’t go mad from shire boredom, Rose would never know.

“Well, if the men don’t come back from hunting soon, I’m gonna ask for a refund,” Miss Charming said.

It was the first time any of them mentioned at the fact that this wasn’t real, and they did pay to be wooed. Unfortunately, the day before Captain Harkness, Mr. Noble, and Mr. Jones told them they were leaving for a hunting trip and would be back as quickly as possible. Rose was upset to see them go, so much as it meant that she now had to stay in the company of the other two women, and couldn’t go off to see Adam. The other women had nothing to focus their attention on, and if Rose kept disappearing, they would catch on. And since Rose didn’t want to rock the boat, she had to stay with them, as boring as it was.

Although all three women were paying to be there, neither Rose nor Miss Oswald commented on what Miss Charming said.

“What about you, Miss Wolfe?” Miss Oswald asked politely. “Are you enjoying yourself? It is a shame we are so awkwardly grouped. _Two_ gentlemen and _three_ ladies. Leaving you to always bring up the rear alone.”

Rose didn’t really notice too much—nor did she particularly care since she was interested in Adam—but Miss Oswald had a point. Captain Harkness was clearly being set up with Miss Charming, and it only figured that Miss Oswald get Mr. Noble, though it was clear with anyone with two eyes he was not happy about that. Though nothing, it seemed, seemed to make him happy.

But being reminded of this fact was not something Rose wanted at all. She gently put down her sewing materials and said, “If you will please excuse me, I think I’m gonna—I mean, I am going to go to the library for a little while.”

Rose didn’t go to the library. She went all over the house until finally finding was she was looking for: Adam.

He was by the lake, cleaning up some of the weeds that were growing close by.

She sat down close by, and tried not to be obvious about drawing attention to herself. It wasn’t unusual for a woman to want to read near water, was it? That didn’t stop Adam from noticing her.

He lightly shook his head. “Rose. You can’t be here.”

She held the book up that she had grabbed on her way out the door. Opening it up to some random page, she said, “Shush, I’m reading.”

“You’re not really allowed to read down on the sluice gate, okay? This is off-limits. It’s dangerous down here. I mean, anything could happen.”

Rose closed the book lightly. “I don’t have to be reading.”

Adam let air out while gritting his teeth.

“Adam, come on,” Rose practically begged. “I’ll go crazy if I have to sit up in that house all afternoon.”

“You love it up there. All those guys paid to adore you. Come on, did you check out that butler? He’s got, like, a fourteen pack.”

Rose smiled before giving a small laugh. “You’re right. I think I’ll go find him.” She started to get up.

Adam lightly grabbed her wrist and turned her towards him. He looked around, and seeing no one but the two of them, leaned down to kiss her. And Rose was only too happy to accept his kiss.

 

~*~

 

The rest of the afternoon was exactly what Rose wished for when she booked this trip. To have fun, forget about her sad pathetic life back home, and just fully enjoy herself. Yes, the corset was much too tight, and the air smelt vaguely of horse manure, but Rose was laughing as Adam took her out on a small row boat down a river that was far enough from the estate that no one could see them. Her smile was a problem when they settled down later and had a small picnic with some food Adam was able to scrape together for them.

And though they did nothing more than share some kisses (though granted some got heavy at times), Rose was more than happy with their relationship right now.

Her mind couldn’t help but jump to when she will tell Donna just how wonderful this vacation was, and how she was definitely going to be naming her first son Darcy.

Adam looked at the time – he had an old looking pocket watch in his pocket—he jumped up. “I have to go do something. For Mrs. Jones.”

“Oh? What?”

“I have to get the stuffed birds for you guys.”

“Ah. Sounds exciting,” Rose said sarcastically. “Can I see you again?”

Adam smiled as he pushed some of her hair back. “I’d like that. My place, after dark?”

Rose kissed him on the cheek and dashed happily on to the house.

She never saw Mr. Noble sitting there, pretending to read, but seeing their whole exchange.

            In fact, she didn’t see any of them until breakfast the next morning. Everyone was chatting away (except for Mr. Noble, but that was typical), enjoying their breakfast. Rose liked the food as well, mainly because she was able to identify most of it.

She didn’t even see Mrs. Jones’ head mistress coming in until the latter clinked on the glass, wanting to make an announcement.

“Everyone! I have great news! Mr. John Smith, a dear friend of the family, has just arrived from his trip to the North.”

Miss Oswald dropped her fork. Rose couldn’t help but acknowledge that this must have meant something to her.

All eyes turned to the door and in walked a tall man, almost six foot, with brown wavy hair and green eyes. He wasn’t conventionally handsome—his ears stuck out a bit, and his chin stuck out way too much. But he had a warm smile and looked almost giddy to be there. He bowed to everyone before saying in a cheery voice, “Oh, hello everyone! I’m so excited to see you all!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got all my documents back, including this story! I hope to update faster (though I'm taking a summer class and working, so PLEASE bare with me!)
> 
> If you are still with this story, thank you so, so, so, SO much! And I sincerely hope this is worth the wait.

“I am going to take charge of my story!”

The next morning, Rose got up thinking the same thing over and over again: this was _her_ story. Sure, she paid to be here, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t her story to tell. She had a right to partake in anything she wanted, and what she wanted most of all was her Jane Austen proposal! But first she needed new clothes, because the ones that she had were just so blah, it made Rose fade into the background.

There was only one person she knew who would help her without any concern for rules or regulations.

They were sitting in Miss Charming’s room, since it took her a lot longer in the morning to get ready than either Rose or Miss Oswald—according to her, anyway. Miss Charming listened patiently as Rose continued her rant. “An Austen heroine gets engaged by the end of the book, and damn it, why shouldn’t I?!”

“Who do you want? Captain Gorgeous? He’s a little lanky for me and his chin sticks out too much, but he somewhat adorable. If you’re into that whole puppy thing he’s got going on.”

“Captain Smith?” Rose thought about it for a moment. It Captain Harkness was for Miss Charming and Mr. Noble for Miss Oswald, that left Captain Smith for her. And he was adorable, in a quirky sort of way. He may just be perfect for her Austen romance! “Yeah, okay! Captain Smith it is!” She looked down at her horrible brown dress. Suddenly feeling like Cinderella, Rose asked, “But, can you help me?”

“I have waited for this my entire life!” Miss Charming exclaimed. She immediately stood up. “I know where they keep the extra dresses!” Moving quicker than Rose had ever seen her, Miss Charming ran out of her bedroom and disappeared for about ten minutes. When she came back, her arms were loaded down with dresses. “Here we go,” she said, settling them on her bed. “I grabbed as many as I could. I could get more if we need them.” 

Rose picked one up and held it against herself. It was certainly much more beautiful than anything she currently had in her closet. “Oh, this will do nicely!”

But before Rose could put one on, Miss Charming recommended doing her hair and make-up. “I’m a natural at it! Been doing my own hair for years.”

Rose—figuring she had nothing to lose—muttered, “What the hell,” and sat down in front of the vanity. The amount of make-up and moisturizers that Miss Charming had could have sustained a small country for a month.

She started by brushing out Rose’s tight curls and giving her instructions on how to act in everyone’s company. Rose played along, simply because she knew that it was polite, though she knew that the last person she should have been giving her lessons was Miss Charming. 

In the end, though, Rose couldn’t deny that she certainly felt a lot better about her situation. In a pale blue empire-waist dress and her hair down up in a elegant bun, Rose felt much more natural than she had when she arrived. She walked with her head higher and smiled as everyone paused what they were doing for a moment to watch her. Captain Harkness commented that she was looking radiant this morning, and Miss Oswald commented on her beautiful dress. Mr. Noble looked up from his book, and though he said not a word, Rose still smiled because not once while she was in the room did he go back to it. Small victories.

Later in the day, they were all outside enjoying the comfortable weather and playing croquet. Rose knew very little of the game, but it seemed no one knew rules and were playing simply to enjoy themselves. Miss Charming had hit the ball twice so hard that Captain Harkness had to very nicely ask her not to keep playing. So she sat off to the side, enjoying drinks, while Captain, Harkness, Captain Smith, Mr. Noble, Miss Oswald, and Rose kept playing. Captain Harkness and Rose were off to the side a bit, gossiping about the other residents.

“I can assure you, his family’s name is not Noble, but rather just Knobble,” Captain Harkness mutter, making Rose giggle like a school girl. “Just Knobble.” They looked over at Mr. Noble, who was having a hard time holding the mallet. The Captain sang softly, “You can tell by the way he uses his chalk, that’s he a ladies’ man, no time to talk.” Rose rolled her eyes, and laughed before hitting the ball softly. “He is unusual, I grant you, though at times he can be rather shy.” Captain Harkness looked over at him. “Very unusual.”

Much louder, Rose pondered, “Do you think he can hear us? He doesn’t look over, and yet his expressions and mannerisms are a bit too determined, don’t you think?”

Captain Harkness grinned broadly. “Right you are, Miss Wolfe.”

Though he didn’t look up, Mr. Noble replied, “Of course I can hear you. I do have excellent hearing. And you two have been prattling on all morning.”

Rose and Captain Harkness both rolled their eyes before he said, “I say, Noble, you are being awfully tedious today.” Much lower, he said to Rose, “You know, alone with just us men folk, he’s really a pleasant fellow.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Oh, it’s true.”

“Perhaps,” Mr. Noble replied, “I don’t find the conversation of women to be stimulating.”

“Oh!” Rose laughed, thinking that his man was even worse than she originally thought. “I can’t _imagine_ why you’re still single. Come, Mr. Noble, tell me more about how much you despise the opposite sex.”

“Well, I don’t see a ring on your finger,” he replied.

“Noble!” Captain Smith exclaimed in shock.

“No, no, it’s alright,” Rose said with a wave of her hand. She turned to face Mr. Noble, who turned to face her. “He’s right. I asked for it. However, I am single because, apparently, the only good men are fictional.”

Captain Harkness chuckled. “Touché.”

“Oh, and you think that there’s any good women out there? No, no, no.” Turning back towards the ball, Mr. Noble’s body showed that he was interested in continuing playing croquet, but his mind was definitely on the conversation.  “They profess honesty and fidelity, and while you’re away lecturing in America, they run off to Mexico with your mate!” He hit the ball so hard it knocked some of the hoops right out of the ground.

Not hearing the conversation, Miss Charming yelled, “Get on with the game, you old windbag!”

However, Rose’s heart went out to poor Mr. Noble. It certainly didn’t excuse his behavior, but it certainly gave light to it.

“Oh. Mr. Noble, I—”

“Someone leaving?” Captain Smith asked when he noticed a horse-and-buggy pulling up. Rose had never seen this carriage before; it run down and not very well kept. It was obvious this was for leaving, not arriving.

However, when she noticed the suitcases in the back, Rose’s heart fell. “That’s my stuff,” she muttered before dropping the mallet and running towards the carriage. Everyone dropped what they held and ran behind her.

“What is—What’s going on?” Rose asked when she reached the carriage. Adam was pulling the horse, but he simply nodded towards the doors of the house where Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Litchfield was standing. Mrs. Jones looked down, though Mrs. Litchfield kept her head up as she walked down the stairs and over to Rose.

“I have discovered an unmentionable amongst your things!” Mrs. Litchfield exclaimed. She opened her hand to reveal Rose’s mobile. “Now I believe I made myself perfectly clear about the rules, Miss Wolfe. We thank you for your stay, however your actions have forced me to cut it short.”

“Are you really kicking me out?”

“I really am.”

Stepping aside, Mrs. Litchfield made room for Rose to get into the carriage. She looked around at the building and the people behind her. Were none of them going to defend her? The men would probably be fired if they did, and the women punished. It was one of Mrs. Litchfield’s biggest rules that no mobiles be used while on the premises.  

Turning towards Miss Charming—whom Rose had grown very fond of—she said, “Go get ‘em, Miss Charming.”

The older woman looked a bit confused but said, “Okay.”

Rose was actually sorry to go, now that she was finally getting comfortable. Taking a deep breath, Rose stepped towards the carriage and got her foot on the first step when suddenly Miss Oswald came running forward.

“Mrs. Litchfield! Oh, Mrs. Litchfield, I’m so sorry, but that mobile is mine.”

Rose turned back as Mrs. Litchfield’s jaw dropped. “But—What?”

“Yes,” Miss Oswald said, nodding. “It’s mine. I asked Miss Wolfe here to hold onto for me, because I knew it was against the rules. I was so distressed when I first arrived and noticed that I still had it on my person. Miss Wolfe was being kind and offered to hold onto for me, so that I would not look upon it.”

Rose looked at Miss Oswald, wondering why she was telling such a boldfaced lie. What would make her stand up for Rose? They weren’t what you could describe as close. It made very little sense to Rose, but if it offered her the ability to stay a little while longer, Rose kept her mouth shut.

Mrs. Litchfield too looked stunned that it was Miss Oswald who said the modern contraption was hers. After a long moment of silence, she said, “I see. _Well_. _This_ is alarming to be sure. However, because Miss Oswald you are a…frequent visitor here, I think that perhaps we should just… _ahem_ …forget this insistent and pretend that it had never occurred.”

 _Yeah, of course you would you old cow,_ Rose thought.

Mrs. Litchfield moved closer to Miss Oswald as she said, “Miss Oswald, I do so hope that you will continue to honor us with your presence.”

“Oh, yes, of course!” she said with a laugh.

When Mrs. Litchfield walked away, Captain Smith came up on the other side of Rose and said, “I am very glad that you are not leaving so soon, Miss Wolfe.” With a wink he added, “We are only getting to know one another.”

 

~*~

  

Later in the day, Rose was walking towards her room when she heard someone whistle. Looking around, she saw Ms. Oswald standing in a doorway, beckoning her over urgently. Rose looked around the room, and noticing nobody, she went towards the other woman, who pulled her gently yet forcibly into the room. 

"Ms. Wolfe, I must speak to you, if you could be so kind."

"Of course," Rose stated, leaning closer. "But first, I have to thank you for saving me earlier."

Ms. Oswald waved her hand, as if dismissing the situation. "It was a pleasure to save you. And please, you can call me Clara. But I need to speak to you about another subject, but one that is close to my heart."

"Is anything the matter?"

"No. Well, yes, but-" Clara took a deep breath before she continued. "It's about Captain Smith."

"Oh?"

"You see, Captain Smith and I...well, we have known each other for quite some time. And I haven't seen him the last time--I mean, since he went off. And I was really hoping to get...reacquainted with him.  We are..." Looking down, Ms. Oswald blushed. "We are very close. And I would like to spend as much time with him as I can."

"Okay, but...why are you telling me this?"

"Because I noticed how...I noticed that you were both looking at each other yesterday. And while I understand that he is very handsome to look at, he....well, sometimes he forgets how overly friendly he is."

"But I thought that you wanted Mr. Noble."

"Mr. Noble?!" Ms. Oswald shouts, as though that thought was just preposterous. "Oh, Ms Wolf, no. I do not have _any_ feelings towards Mr. Noble."

"I just thought-"

"Ms. Wolfe, can I be frank?" Ms Oswald sternly replied, standing closer to Rose. Though she was a few inches shorter, Ms. Oswald was not to be messed with. "I saved you back there. Earlier today. I saved you from the humiliation of having to leave before your story could fully come to an end. And all I am asking in return is that I can spend some time with the man that I have admired for so long. I do not think that questioning me about this is a good way to proceed."

"I'm not--I wasn't--I'm not questioning you," Rose replied when she finally found her voice. "I was just confused is all. Of course I am thankful that you stepped forward."

"Well, let's just say I was pushed into it. Now, do you think that you can let me have Captain Smith?"

Though Rose could only watch as her Happily-Ever-After floated away, she muttered, "Yeah, sure."

Ms. Oswald gave an unladylike squeal before grabbing Rose quickly into a hug and said, "Thank you!" so happily that Rose knew what she did was right.

But if Captain Harkness was for Miss Charming and Ms. Oswald is going after Captain Smith, than who was Rose going to get her proposal from?

Because Mr. Noble was a most resounding no.

 

~*~

 

While Miss Charming, Miss Oswald, and Rose sat around making their bonnets—and being able to use a hot glue gun—Mr. Noble and Captain Smith sat a little further down, each reading their respectable books. Captain Harkness came out onto the patio holding something behind his back, Mrs. Jones following him.

“I have something of the utmost urgency to report,” he said, though it was clear that his words were one of excitement and not dread. “Who’s game for a bit of amusement?”

“Oh me!” Miss Charming shouted, dropping her feathers and hot glue gun. “I’m so bored!”

“Well, Mrs. Jones was just informing me that her sister, Mrs. Litchfield, had created this play for us and will be here in just two days to see it performed!” The women and Captain Smith all looked excited at the news. Mr. Noble, however, did not. “There are six parts, three sets of lovers. Are there any questions?”

“No,” Mr. Noble said.

Everyone looked in his direction. "'No' what?” Captain Harkness asked.

“No. You can’t make me do the play. It’s humiliating.”

“That’s not a question. In fact, it’s out of the question, I’m afraid.”

“I’ve got a question,” Miss Charming piped up. “Who picks the lovers?”

“Oh, now _that_ is a question,” the Captain said, looking over at Mr. Noble, who placed his head in his hand.

“Perhaps ladies choice,” Captain Smith replied.

“Oh, then,” Miss Charming said. “Eeny, meeny, miny, you!” she said, pointing to the Captain.

He placed his hand over his heart and looked at Miss Charming in almost a sickening way. “Oh, mi amor!”

“And you, Miss Wolfe,” Captain Smith said, grinning at Rose.

Rose looked between the other two men. Captain Smith was clearly interested in performing with Rose and Mr. Noble who looked like a headache was started to come. Looking over at Miss Oswald, Rose noticed how she gave her a pleading look. With Ms. Oswald's earlier words in Rose’s head, Rose shifted in her seat and looked down at her bonnet as she said, “I guess Mr. Noble.”

Rose did not notice Mr. Noble looking up in almost a stunned manor.

“May I suggest that we each take our copy of the script and go off to practice?” the Captain said before holding his arm out for Miss Charming.

Rose stood up and walked over to Mr. Noble, who stood up quickly, the book he had on his lap falling to the floor. “Oops. I mean—” he said before bending down and quickly picking it up. “I mean, excuse me. Er, shall we go…that way?” He pointed north.

“Yes, that’s fine.” As they began walking, Rose couldn’t help but comment, “I am so glad you are doing this, Mr. Noble.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. It brings me much enjoyment to see you uncomfortable,” she grinned. He gave her a look before she continued. “You are so formal all the time, but I must inform you that there is nothing wrong with doing some theatrical. It is, after all, the nineteenth century.”

“You accuse me of vanity, Miss Wolfe, but you are right on some account. I am not much of an actor.”

Rose looked over at him, almost confused. “Aren’t you?” She may have been breaking the forth-wall a bit, but it was curious that he said that.

He flinched before continuing, “I am just concerned about doing our hostess and the writer justice.”

“I am sure, Mr. Noble, that you will be fine. After all, if you did not want to do this, I will just inform Mrs. Jones that neither of us will participate.”

He stopped walking and faced her. “Why would you not participate?”

“Well, the scenes that we were cast for include both of us. My lines will not seem as golden if you are not there to reply.”

A small smirk graced his face and Rose almost wondered at the beauty of it. It transformed his entire face, making him appear younger. “You are very persistent, Miss Wolfe.”

“And you are not as stubborn as you come across, Mr. Noble.” Leaning forward, she teased, “Is that your secret?”

“I have many secrets,” he said, grinning.

“Will you share?”

“Absolutely not,” he said, though Rose noticed his cheeks got a bit pink. She wondered what he was holding dear to himself.

She shrugged before continuing on. “Perhaps we should sit over there and practice,” she said.

“Yes, I do believe that would be good.”

They were seated for a moment before Mr. Noble asked, “So, er, how are you enjoying your stay?”

Rose looked at him from the corner of her eyes. “Really? We’re making small talk?” When his only answer was a shrug, Rose sighed before saying, “Well, um, the house is amazing. But it’s a bit like a corset, you know? Beautiful to look at, but—”

“Not easy to relax in,” he finished.

“Yes. Exactly. But there is so much to love here. I mean, the civility.”

“The manners.”

“The grandeur.”

“Simplicity.”

Rose looked down, almost embarrassed. “The men.”

He looked at her. “The women.”

She looked up at him and as she looked into his brown eyes, she could swear that time actually stopped. She didn’t know how he did that to her.

Clearing her mind of such thoughts, she said, “The paintings. I mean, they are beautiful.”

“Yes, I noticed that you are a bit of an artist,” he said, before taking the sketch book that she carried around with her off of her lap.

“Oh, no. Those are just doodles. I mean, they aren’t any good.”

He held up a picture she drew of him. Her faced burned. “And who is this?”

“Exactly. I’m sorry. They’re not all like that.”

He began flipping through the pages and Rose wished that the floor could just open up underneath her. “No, no, it’s…it’s quite good actually. No apologies needed. Though I have to ask why there are more drawings of me than anyone else.”

Rose shifted in her seat and wished harder for the ground to open up. “I guess I’m just trying to figure you out without much luck.”

He closed the book and handed it back to her. “Surely you have come to some conclusion.”

“You’re the resident Mr. Darcy. You’re every girl’s fantasy.”

“Am I _your_ fantasy?”

Rose looked at him and if she didn’t know any better, she would swear that he was honestly very curious about her answer.

“You play you’re role very well,” she said.

He nodded before holding out his script book. “Perhaps we should practice.”

“Yes, let’s.”


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Rose and Mr. Noble were stretching their legs by walking around the fields of TARDIS Manor. They were making small talk, something Mr. Noble had improved on since she first met him, so very long ago. He actually was able to make her laugh, especially when he wasn't being mean or snarky. It turned out he actually had a very bubbly personally, always running his fingers through his hair and bouncing on the balls of his feet. Rose personally loved it when he shouted something out in great joy, like when he yelled "Brilliant!" after Rose said something that she didn't realize was so amazing in his eyes. Or when he took her hand (before dropping it quickly, remembering that there is a strict 'No Touching' rule, especially when the couple in question wasn't dancing) and shouted "Allons-y!" before taking Rose off somewhere else in the house.

Two days earlier, Rose would have killed herself if she knew she had to spend time around Mr. Noble, but it was actually--dare she say it?--fun. Mr. Noble was fun to be around, and that almost made Rose faint.

Mr. Noble was just describing his love for all things banana flavored when Rose looked over to the side and noticed Miss Oswald and Captain Smith talking privately. It looked like an intimate conversation; their bodies were close together and Miss Oswald was looking up at Captain Smith with what could only be described as bedroom eyes.

"Are they acting?" Rose interrupted.

"Hmm? Oh. Who?"

Rose pointed quickly. Mr. Noble coughed before stating, "Well, I think--" But before he could say anything else, Miss Oswald grabbed Captain Smith forcibly around the neck and pulled him down, planting quite the kiss on him. 

Shaking her head, they continued walking. "I don't know what's real and what's not anymore," she admitted. "I mean, what if she actually is..."

"In love with him?" Mr. Noble finished.

"What? You don't think it's possible to confuse truth with reality? I mean, what's gonna happen when all this theatrical is over?"

Mr. Noble shrugged. "It's a dangerous game to play."

"Don't you think, in their case anyway, those feeling may be, well they actually run deeper than what we think?"

He looked down at her. "If you had asked me a week ago, I would have said no." Rose kept walking, but stopped when he gently laid a hand on her crossed arms. "Miss Wolfe, I--"

"Yes?"

He hesitated before dropping his hand and began taking off his jacket. "You're shivering." He wrapped it around Rose, who held it tighter in front of her.

"Thank you." Rose smiled up at him before turning back towards the house, a cuppa sounding lovely at the moment.

Mr. Noble sighed greatly and shook his head at his own stupidity before following her into the house. 

 

~*~

 

Later that afternoon, Rose was walking towards the house to go get her script from her room when she accidentally came across Adam who was carrying a lump of clothing over his shoulder.

"Oh," she said when she noticed him.

"Rose. Hi."

"Er, yeah. Hi Adam."

"Where are the other guests?"

"In their private whist lesson. Something that I am glad my package doesn't cover, actually." Rose gave a small uncomfortable laugh.

Adam pointed to the clothing on his shoulder. "Stage curtain," he said, lowering it down.

"Right. Right." After a moment of awkward tension, Rose continued, "I'll let you get to it then."

She was just walking past him when he gently reached out and took her hand. Lowering his head, Rose was certain he was going to kiss her before he tilted more towards the side and whispered, "I'm sorry" in her ear before kissing her cheek. Before Rose could respond, he walked off.

 

~*~

 

The morning of the performance, Rose and Mr. Noble sat on (what they now referred to as) their bench, studying their lines.

Since they had two days to memorize their lines, it was not shocking that  neither of them were getting it down pat. In fact, Mr. Noble told her that he already pasted some of his lines on the back of his shield that he was using with his costume. It seemed that he was giving up, whereas Rose was not.

“Come, now, once more,” Rose beckoned, standing before him with her scrip held in her hands.  

Mr. Noble rolled his eyes and waved his script lightly. “Miss Wolfe, we have been saying these lines—”

“Come on,” Rose insisted, shifting her body towards his. “Tell me how much you love me.”

He blinked at her. “What?”

She pointed to the script. “Tell me how much you love me.”

“Oh. Right. Of course.” He coughed before reading, “Oh, to die here, alone and unloved—Miss Wolfe, I _can’t._ ”

“You _can_! Now, you’re suppose to have been stabbed in the side, so make it sound like you’re in pain.”

“I am in pain,” he muttered before continuing. “Oh, to die here, alone and unloved, if only my dear beloved could come to see me off!”

“Is that blood upon your breast?” Rose said, a bit overdramatic. Mr. Noble gave a laugh as she continued, trying to keep a straight face, “You have been so gravely wounded! And _groaning in pain_ ,” she said, eyeing him. Mr. Noble tried to go for innocent, but it wasn’t working. “Let me hold you and you can die in my arms. You know, because dying and unrequited love are the best match.”

“That’s not the line,” he said through his teeth.

“If you can get off script, then so can I,” she muttered back.

“Right. So, um,” he glanced down at the script before looking up at her. “My dear, your love has revived my soul and healed my wounds. And, oh look, I can stand again. Blah, blah, blah—”

“You’re horrible,” Rose said laughing, as they both stood up.

Mr. Noble grinned down at her. “Well, this is hardly Shakespeare.”

Rose giggled before saying, “Romeo, Romeo, where are thou, Romeo?”

“Shush, I’m trying to stay in character,” he said, giving himself a small shake before continuing, “I cherish you more than the farms love rain, than the night loves the moon, than Captain Harkness loves his reflection!”

“Oh, my goodness, that’s a lot!” Rose giggled.

However, Mr. Noble seemed to be more into his character, because he gently reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear. Rose looked up at him, her laughter dying in her throat as she took in his warm brown eyes. He looked down at her, and Rose wondered if they were actually going to practice the kissing scene. There is no direction for it, though it’s clear in the context of the scene that it’s what’s suppose to happen.

He slowly leaned down and Rose was trying to remember how to breathe when they heard laughter coming from over the hedges. Mr. Noble leaned back, and as much as Rose hated to admit it, she was glad that he did. He was making her head spin, and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.

Sitting back down on the bench, Rose straighten her dress as Mr. Noble cleared his throat. “Er, I think perhaps we…I mean to say, I think we know our lines. Curtain call is probably only in two hours. I think we will be fine. I will see you later, Miss Wolfe.” Without another word, or waiting for Rose to respond, Mr. Noble turned on the pad of his foot and walked away. 

 

~*~

 

Rose sat down in front of her make-up mirror, doing small touch-ups to her face. She heard the fanfare of the music, signaling that the play had started. She and Mr. Noble weren't due to come on for quite some time, so Rose continued applying her make-up.

"I am Aphrodite, the goddess," Rose could hear Miss Charming yell on stage yet again in her horrible British accent. "Often fickle in my large arse!"

Rose burst out laughing as Miss Oswald beside her giggled. "Oh she is quite something, isn't she?"

"She really is."

"Miss Oswald, you're on!" a stage crew shouted.

Clara got up and yelled, "Wish me luck!" as she ran towards the stage.

"Break a leg!" Rose shouted back before putting her lip gloss down. Nodding, she got up from her seat and went towards the stage, watching Clara and Captain Smith giving an awful scene.

"I read the script," Rose heard Mr. Noble say behind her. "But I can honestly say I have no idea what is going on right now."

Rose laughed before turning around and quickly stopping when she saw the man before her. For it was certainly Mr. Noble, but instead of his breeches, waist coat, and long jacket, he was wearing an Roman Uniform, cape and all. Rose tried very hard not to admire his legs, but she was having great difficulty, seeing them in a skirt and tall socks.

"How do I look?" he said, holding out his arms, one holding a sword, the other a shield.

"You look - You look good. Just like a Roman solider."

"Good, 'cause that's what I was going for."  He looked her up and down and gulped. "You...you look beautiful."

Rose fingered her white dress, with the small lacing at the collar and sleeves. "Thank you."

"Get into positions you two!" someone shouted at them.

"See you on the other side," he winked before running around to the other side of the stage.

Rose took a deep breath before turning back towards the stage. Her mind was swirling with so many different things, she didn't know how she was going to get her lines out. Right now, all she could focus on was Mr. Noble's charming smile and great hair. Shaking her head lightly, she smiled as Miss Oswald and Captain Smith came backstage and looked over at Mr. Noble, who signaled for her to go.

Rose and Mr. Noble stepped out from either side of the curtain, meeting in the middle. She tried so hard not to laugh, but when she looked at him, she cracked. The smile bloomed across her face, and he couldn’t seem to help himself and started laughing as well. They kneeled upon the ground, Mr. Noble laying back as he placed his sword in between his rib and arm.

“Is that blood upon your breast?” Rose asked, trying so desperately to keep a straight face, but it was getting difficult. She wanted to say that he looked ridiculous in his costume, but the truth was that the Roman skirt showed off his nicely toned legs. He was more attractive than he probably thought. “You have been gravely wounded!”

“Alas I am for the grave,” he said

They both looked at each other and neither could hold back their laughter. Rose couldn’t remember the last time she had such a great time. “Then let me hold you,” she said, trying to calm her breath, “as long as your breath lasts.”

Here was his big speech about how much he loved her. Rose was mentally preparing herself for it, knowing that if he messed up, she would tease him about it later.

“It is as if I have never known you before this moment,” he said. Rose could not remember those lines and thought maybe he skip a page or something. Then it became clear that he must have forgotten and simply made his own lines. “And nought else matter in this world but you and how my heart beats for you. I love you.”

His smile faded completely as he realized what he said. Rose looked confused, wondering if he just forgot and adlibbed or if…

Certainly not! He could not develop actual feelings towards her! Mr. Noble was an _actor_ and therefore he was just playing the man who was interested in Miss Wolfe. It was nothing more than that.

Oh, but how Rose’s heart pounded as she looked at him. They couldn’t take their eyes off of each other and Rose really did think that the world could have ended at that moment and neither of them would notice.

In fact, they didn’t move until Rose heard Miss Charming stage whisper, “Psst! Noble! Die!”

Mr. Noble looked over at her before giving the most horrible fake scream she ever heard and collapsed in her arms. Rose laughed, but it was more forced than humor.

He said ' _I love you_.' Those words came out of his mouth. But why? Was he just adlibbing or--

"No, we are all dead," Captain Smith's character said, coming back on stage with Captain Harkness (who was wearing so much white make-up, he looked like a ghost) and Miss Oswald. They all screamed before collapsing down on the carpet. Rose landed right next to Mr. Noble who looked over at her and grinned. Neither of them could keep a straight face when a moment later, Captain Harkness whispered, "Okay, which one of you farted? Be honest."

"Oh, how beautiful!" Mrs. Litchfield clapped and stood up, brushing the tears off of her cheeks. As they got up, Rose briefly wondered if she was crying because they were so bad. She came to the middle of the stage and the small audience (which Rose could now see was just the staff and crew who worked at the house) gave an even smaller applause. Though Mr. and Mrs. Jones were clapping enthusiastically.

Rose looked out and noticed Adam sitting towards the side, clapping slowly. She gave him a small bow before turning back towards the other cast members, congratulating each of them on a job well done. But Mr. Noble was nowhere in sight. Running off the stage, Rose ran towards the dressing area and noticed him back in his breeches and white shirt, fixing his suspenders. Feeling frisky, Rose headed towards him and grabbed his hand and gave him nothing but a smile as they took off towards the house.

They ran through the living area before heading towards the staircase. They ran faster down the hallways, and though Rose knew that Mr. Noble probably had no clue where they were going, he was laughing along with Rose and just enjoying the ride.

"Why are we running?" he asked with a laugh as they ran down yet another hallway.

"Because a man and a woman should never be alone unless they are in motion," Rose quoted from her lesson with Mrs. Litchfield.

Not thinking clearly, Rose opened her bedroom door and pulled Mr. Noble into it. He chuckled, trying to catch his breath, and looking around her living courters before leaning on the door. They were clutching each other's hand, and though they didn't want to admit it just then, neither of them wanted to be the first one to let go.

"And what do the rules of etiquette say about being alone in your bedroom?" Mr. Noble asked with a grin.

Rose's smile faded. "Right. I should probably let you go before one of us gets into trouble."

His face fell too as he said, "Well, I didn't mean--I mean we could--I was just--" Looking down at her hand in his, they both let go at the same time as Mr. Noble finished, "You're right. We will get into trouble if I'm in here."

He turned to open the door, but stopped when Rose admitted, "I really had a great time tonight."

He smiled. "So did I." He opened her door and walked out.

Rose leaned against it, the night flashing in front of her eyes. So very much had happened, and it took her a moment to realize that it was all real.

"Miss Wolfe?"

Rose smiled as she turned towards the door, but instead of opening it, just replied, "Yes, Mr. Noble?"

"I was wondering...That is to say, I'm curious if you...Tomorrow evening, do you think I can reserve the first two dances with you?"

Rose bit her lip to stop herself from laughing with joy. Taking a deep breath to control her happiness, she said, "I would like that very much."

"Miss Wolfe, will you let me back in for a moment?"

Rose opened the door just enough to let him through. She closed it and they both leaned lightly on it as he once again took her hands in both of his. "Miss Wolfe, I just...When I look at you, I feel certain of something, but of what I can't quite put into words." Taking one hand, he gave a light kiss in the middle of her palm before looking back at her, his eyes twinkling with something Rose couldn't identify. Without another word, Mr. Noble left.

Rose leaned against the door and smiled.

 


	8. Chapter 8

The night of the ball had almost everyone running around, getting last minute decorations in place. Rose, Miss Oswald, and Miss Charming were in their respected bedrooms, each getting ready. Rose twirled around in her dress, loving how the white soft fabric felt against her skin. With her hair in lose curls and a simple necklace adoring her neck, Rose was ready for the party.

Walking towards the ballroom, Rose bumped into Miss Charming, who was wearing a light pink dress and her blonde hair was piled upon her head. She greeted Rose with a smile. “Oh, Miss Wolfe, I _cannot_ wait for the night to start! Love is in the air, don’t you think?”

Rose squeezed her fingers together and almost dreaded what might lie in store. Tonight wasn’t only the night of the ball, it was the final night. Which meant that their “boyfriend”—for lack of a better term—was going to propose. Butterflies flew within Rose’s stomach at just the thought of Mr. Noble proposing. Even if it was fake, something that Rose didn’t need reminding of.

Miss Charming and Rose walked down the stairs and both mouths’ popped open when they saw everything. It wasn’t confided to one room, but rather the whole floor was made up to look like a 1800s ball. There were people everyone, dressed as though they walked right out of the pages of Jane Austen’s book. The food was pretty much what they had been eating for the past two weeks, but tonight it looked more appetizing than usual.

Rose was floored as she took in her surroundings. She wanted desperately to remember every detail. This was never going to happen again.

“Miss Charming! Miss Wolfe!” Captain Harkness yelled politely when he saw them descending. He went over to both women and gave each of them a kiss on the knuckles. “Oh, I do believe this will be an evening to remember! Now, Miss Charming, I do believe you owe me a dance.”

“Oh, top of the day!” Miss Charming said, once again in her fake accent. She gave a huge smile to Rose before taking the Captain’s arm and being lead away.

“Miss Wolfe!” Miss Oswald came up behind Rose and quickly wrapped her hands around the other's arm. “Oh, Miss Wolfe, isn’t this stunning?! Even more so than last year! I cannot wait for—oh, there he is! Captain Smith!” Without another word, Miss Oswald went running over towards Captain Smith, who seemed very happy to see her.

Rose glanced around the room again, smiling softly to herself. It was like she was actually inside _Pride and Prejudice_ and any moment now Mr. Darcy himself would walk by, followed by the Bennet sisters.

“Miss Wolfe,” Adam said, stepping into Rose’s line of vision. Both made the custom bows to each other.

“Mr. Mitchell. How nice of you to join us this evening.” When she noticed how well he was dressed, she commented teasingly, “I did not know gardener’s made so much to wear fancy clothing.”

“I’m not the gardener tonight. Tonight I am Sir Adam Mitchell of…some estate that I can’t remember. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Where are all these people from, anyway? I’ve never seen some of them.”

“People from the town over. It’s like a tradition for them I think, to come to the party here. Mrs. Litchfield pulls out all the stops this evening.”

“Sure looks like it.”

Adam suddenly leaned in closer and whispered, “How about we blow this place, huh? Let’s get out of here.”

A few days ago, that offer would have sounded too good to pass up. But now, Rose didn’t know if she actually wanted to leave. Everything was so perfect, plus she didn’t want to leave—

“Miss Wolfe,” Mr. Noble said, coming up beside her. He held out his hand. “Shall we?”

Rose place her hand upon his and mouthed, “Sorry” to Adam before they walked towards the actual ballroom. Here there were couples dancing around the room, others lined up against the wall, chatting with each other. Rose watched, almost in horror, as Miss Charming tried unsuccessfully to flirt with Captain Harkness. And she could see Captain Smith and Miss Oswald barely looking at anyone else; as though the whole world was right in front of them.

Rose and Mr. Noble lined up in their correct spots and they bowed before following the dance movements that everyone else was doing.

“You look beautiful, Miss Wolfe.”

“A compliment. My, Mr. Noble, I did not know you were capable of such things,” she teased him.

“I am capable of many things. Though I may not always show it.”

“How mysterious. You sir, are just one big puzzle.”

Mr. Noble smiled and Rose blushed and silently berated herself for acting like a teenager. This man was a paid actor, but one smile from him made her almost swoon. This was why Adam was better for her. He was real, honest, whereas Mr. Noble was…not.

“Miss Charming, you are my wind and my stars!” Rose heard Captain Harkness say to his partner, his hand over his heart. Overdramatically, he continued, “My Earth and my sky! Oh, please, Miss Charming, marry me!”

Miss Charming squealed with delight. “Marry you! Of course I’ll marry you!” And, without another thought, she grabbed him by his face and pulled him into what had to be a horribly wet kiss. Even the Captain clammed up, his shoulders becoming tense.

“Miss Oswald, I cannot imagine my life without you in it,” Captain Smith said to a grinning Miss Oswald. “Please, I must have you in my life. Marry me?”

“Yes, Captain Smith!” And Miss Oswald grabbed him before placing a much softer kiss on his lips.

Rose looked at Mr. Noble, her heart pounding. Was this it? Was it time for him to propose? But he wasn’t looking at her, in fact he was looking at Mrs. Litchfield, whom Rose didn’t even know was in the room. She was glaring at them, or more correctly _him_ , as a stern mother to a disobedient child.

Mr. Noble, for the first time since Rose has met him, actually looked nervous. “Miss Wolfe, I—” He kept looking back and forth between Rose and Mrs. Litchfield. “I—I was wondering if—” Finally looking at Rose, it seemed like he had made up his mind. “Come with me.”

He gently took her hand and lead her out of the ballroom. In fact, they kept walking, passing almost everyone in the ball until they reached a quiet corner, a separate room actually.

“I shouldn’t be doing this, it’s completely wrong, but I—” Mr. Noble let go of her hand and was pacing, running his hand through his hair. He obviously was trying to work through a problem, and Rose figured she knew exactly what it was. The fake marriage proposal. He had no idea how to come off as corny as the other two men.

It took Rose a bit by surprise when instead of asking for marriage, he asked, “Rose, do you remember our first night?”

That was the first time he ever called her by her given name and not Miss Wolfe. Rose lightly nodded. “Something about bad first impressions comes to mind.”

Mr. Noble chuckled lightly before stating, “I know your opinion of me was horrible.”

“I don’t know about _horrible_ —” Rose tried to say, but he cut her off.

“I _was_ horrible.” He ran his fingers through his hair and Rose hated herself for being attracted to that trait. “I was nervous.” He looked down. “I felt out of place and I certainly didn’t intend on falling, for anyone, but…” He looked up at her, and with such sincerity said, “I have. I can’t imagine leaving this place without you.” He lightly grabbed her by her forearms and said, “Please. Tell me if I have _any_ hope.”

Rose looked up at him, completely ready to say yes, of course. To follow the script the way it should be done, the way it ought to be done. And it could have been so easy, what with him looking at her with such huge brown eyes, and the fact that he almost looked sincere…

But one word came into Rose’s mind at that moment, and that one word made all of this shatter at her feet.

Actor. 

He’s an _actor_ , someone suppose to make her feel desirable and wanted. This was just one huge play, and Rose—the idiot that she is—fell for it. She felt stupid, foolish. Idiotic. Granted that wasn’t the best marriage proposal ever, but it certainly made it’s point. And it made Rose realize just how stupid this whole thing was. Was she _really_ going to accept the marriage proposal of someone who would move on once she left? This trip was suppose to make her feel better about her life, not worse.

With that realization, Rose replied, “I didn’t—I didn’t realize that this is what I would feel when this moment came.” 

Mr. Noble lightly shook his head. “Feel what?”

“You were right,” Rose said after a moment of hesitation. “This is a dangerous game to play.” Lightly taking his hands off her arms, she pushed him away saying, “I—I don’t want to play anymore.”

She started to walk away when he asked, “What do you want?”

She looked back as she replied firmly, “I want something _real_.” With that, she walked away.

 _This was right_ , she thought. Walk away before she got in too deep. Mr. Noble was…well, he was fantastic, and granted there were moments where she forgot that he didn’t actually have any feelings for her, but now…

Now she wanted something real. And she knew exactly where to find it.

Walking back through the ball, Rose found Adam talking to a much older woman. “Hey,” she said, not caring one bit that she was interrupting their conversation. Adam looked so pleased to see her anyway, that she doubted he even cared. “Still wanna get outta here?”

“More than anything,” he said, walking towards her, holding his hand out for her. Rose laughed lightly before taking his hand and off they ran out of the 1800s ball and into reality.

Once they were outside, Adam took over in leading, running them towards a small golf cart. He helped a laughing Rose into the car before getting in himself and taking off. Rose had no idea where they were going, and though she felt horrible in leaving Mr. Noble behind, it was nice to get a dose of reality after all that make-believe. And that's what Adam brought: reality. Something _real_. Mr. Noble was charming and--as she got to know him--certainly had more personality than she originally thought. But he was just hired to whoo her, nothing more.

Adam took them towards the lake where they were a swing big enough for the two of them to fit. He sat down first and Rose leaned against him, enjoying both the warm air and the company.

"So Litchfield got Noble to propose to me tonight," Rose told him, fiddling with her dress a bit.

Adam nodded. "Yep. Sounds about right."

"Yep."

"Is that when you walked Out? Right after he--"

"Yep."

Adam whistled through his teeth. "That's harsh."

Rose nodded. "I know. Though I have to admit, his character was kind of dreamy."

"Yeah," Adam said in a tone which implied he didn't quite believe her. But Rose wasn't paying attention. She was looking off into the distance but saw not the lake with the lights reflecting in it, but of warm brown eyes and a killer smile.

"He was much more...outgoing than I thought."

"I wouldn't marry him, though," Adam admitted.

Rose laughed against him.

"Mainly because he's got bad knees. And his left ear is kind of wonky, have you ever noticed?"

"Wonky ear? Where do you get this stuff?"

"His one ear, you didn't notice?"

Rose shook her head before sighing. "I'm an even bigger nerd than I thought. I mean, there were actual moments when I _really_ did believe it was real."

"Don't feel bad. Litchfield hires the best actors around. They are suppose to make you feel that way."

"Yeah," Rose sighed.

"And some of her clients, well, they're not that bad either."

Rose smiled before looking up at him. "Really?" Getting closer to Adam, Rose admitted, "I like the fact that you're outside of the fantasy. It makes it a little easier to walk away from all of this." After a moment of silence, Rose said, "You know, my train leaves midday tomorrow, but I could always catch a later one."

"That's an offer...I am not going to refuse. I would fancy seeing you in some...I don't know...trousers or...I don't know...something less 1800s, maybe."

Rose leaned forward and looked back at him. "Do _you_ wear clothes not made in the 1800s?"

"Well, I do have short-shorts."

Rose laughed before leaning against him once more.

 

~*~

 

The next morning, Rose was just packing up a few last things when the door knocked. Before she could call out, Miss Charming opened the door and walked in.

"Oh, Miss Wolfe."

"Miss Charming!"

"Are you off?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Putting down her hairbrush and make-up kit, Rose turned towards Miss Charming and said, "I wanted to thank you for everything that you have done for me. I truly appreciated it. Also, I made this for you." Turning around, Rose pulled out a needlepoint that she had been working on. It was Miss Charming's face.

"Oh, this is beautiful! It looks just like me!" It really didn't, but it was kind of her to say it did. "This is really splendid."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I thought I would stay on and check out all the new recruits. Make sure none of them go near my captain."

Rose bite her lip. "Before you do that, Miss Charming, I think there is something about Captain Harkness that you might want to be aware of."

"Oh? What?"

"Well, I think he might be...He might be..." Miss Charming was looking at Rose so innocently, she didn't have the heart to tell her what she believed Captain Harkness to be. So instead she ended with, "Perfect for you."

"Oh, Miss Wolfe, thank you." She grabbed Rose into a hug and she continued. "I was so afraid you were going to say that Captain Harkness is gay or something."

Rose's eyes popped opened.

 

~*~

 

Miss Oswald was leaving at the same time as Rose, so it only made sense for them to take the same carriage. Miss Oswald was waving to the Jones and the few servants who came out to bid them farewell. Rose couldn't believe that her vacation here was up, considering that she felt like she had only arrived.

"Bye! Bye everyone! See you soon!" Miss Oswald sat back and took a deep breath. Once the carriage was moving, she untied her bonnet and waved it in front of her face. Slumping in the seat, this has been the most relax Rose has ever seen her. "Another trip down," she said, looking out the window. "But I will return soon enough."

"How many times do you come here?"

"Oh at least once every two months. I'm what they call a frequent flier."

"Why do you come here so often?"

"Oh, Sweetie, because my life is so _boring_! This isn't the most exciting vacation ever, I'll grant you, but it serves my appetite for Jane Austen and my appetite for vacation and romance! I swear, Captain Smith gets better looking every time I come. I always make sure he's here when I visit. The vacation wouldn't be half as much fun if he wasn't here."

"Wouldn't you think of meeting him _outside_ of Austenland?"

"Why would I want that?" Clara asked. "He's my 1800s boy. My Mr. Darcy, if you want. To see him in regular clothes would defeat the purpose. No, he's better in here wearing waistcoats and a top hat." Still waving her bonnet in her face, she groaned. "Why couldn't they at least put an air conditioner in the damn carriage?!"

Rose tried to imagine Mr. Noble wearing "regular" clothes and found that, even in her mind's eye, he was still a good looking fellow. Adam too would look amazing in regular clothes.

"Oh, you had Mr. Noble, didn't you?" Before Rose could answer, Clara continued. "I thought he was quite a bore, but he did a good job being into you. He even asked me to pretend your mobile was mine."

Rose snapped her neck looking at Clara. "He did what?"

"Yeah, he begged me to pretend the phone was mine when Mrs. Litchfield came out with it." Clara said it all nonchalantly, but Rose's head kept spinning.

Why would he have done that? It made no sense! That was right after they were bickering with each other and before they were partnered for the play, so at that moment they spent very little time around each other. So why would he have Clara step forward and pretend the phone was hers? Rose couldn't understand it.

"I don't know why, but he was insistent. Still, everything worked out right in the end, eh?"

 

~*~

 

"I take it you found everything satisfactory?" Mrs. Litchfield said as Rose sat across from her. Apparently it was a tradition in Austenland that everyone who stays there meets with Mrs. Litchfield one last time before they leave. Rose guessed this was her version of the old how-did-we-do card.

"Yes, I did." Rose shifted in her seat, now not used to wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But she was so comfortable again, she almost wanted to weep with joy.  

"And the men were most accommodating, yes?"

Rose thought of both Adam and Mr. Noble and blushed. "Yes, very accommodating."

"And you got your happy ending?"

Giving a small cough, Rose said, "Er, no, actually, I didn't."

Mrs. Litchfield raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought that you did."

"I know..." Rose paused, wanting to make sure she got her wording right. "Mr. Noble was a charming man, and one hell of an actor, but it just...he's wasn't for me."

"That's right, he wasn't."

Rose's head shot up. With raised eyebrows, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, my dear, James was never intended to stay with you. No, he was for Miss Oswald in case Captain Smith was detained. No, you my dear, you were what I call a rebel. I get those every once in a while, women who think they are being crazy and rebellious because they are _not_ going after 'Mr. Darcy.' And that's what you were. I set you up with Adam right from the start. I figured you might enjoy the rebelling, as it were. I took him out of the story for a little while, because things were starting to, well shall we say steam up. But, like all good heroes, he comes back in the end."

Rose sat stunned, unable to move. Adam was an actor? Mrs. Litchfield set it all up? So all of that, even with Adam, was entirely fake? The entire damn time was a complete fake?

But wasn't that what she paid for?

"I trust that you would like to be on your way, Rose?"

"More than ever," she muttered, standing up.

"Are you upset?"

"No, not at all. And please, don't take it personally when I shut you all down."

Rose headed towards the door, but stopped when Mrs. Litchfield called out, "Wait, Rose! Rose, wait! What are you talking about? Why would you shut us down?!"

"Because, Mrs. Litchfield, you treat your guests extremely unfair here. I wasn't the first guest who, though paid for a lower package, got much-- _much--_ lower than an average guest. I understand that I don't get to participate in everything, but I had even heard that I may not have even gotten a romance, simply because I got the cheaper package! I'm sure I'm not the only one who complained about that."

"But you did get a romance! With Adam!"

Rose nodded, "I did. That's true. But what about the god-awful dress I had to wear in the beginning? Or how poorly you treated me, compared to Miss Charming. I was so excited when I first got here, and you barely even looked at me. Didn't even want to pay me any sort of attention. You only want to treat your "frequent fliers" with respect, and forget everyone else."

Mrs. Litchfield stood up straight, the imagine of the perfect business woman (even if she was wearing a bonnet). "And just who would you get to print this?"

"Me. Did you forget that I'm a reporter? Have a good day." Leaving Mrs. Litchfield's jaw on the ground, Rose picked up her suitcase and headed towards the door.

 

~*~

 

James Noble was sitting by the pool at the Torchwood Estate, having to endure another evening with these morons. He was still feeling awful about the situation with Rose, having her hand his heart back to him without a second glance. He asked for a chance, and she said no. And then she ran off with that wanker Adam, who was currently singing on the top of his lungs. And he was a horrible singer.

Finally--thankfully--he stopped and he turned to James. "Wow, Noble, eh? Tied your cravat just a wee bit too tight, didn't you? To be honest, I can't believe you didn't get Rose. I mean, she was...she was anyone's." Adam patted him on the back before James stood up quickly and accidentally--on purpose--pushed him. "Ohh!" Adam laughed, before raising his arms in defeat and going over towards Captain Smith.

James barely heard the phone ringing or Captain Harkness answering it. He was still thinking about how stupid he was for letting Rose get away, and for not giving more of a fight. He lost his chance with the best girl he has ever met, and she now wants nothing to do with him. And only because she thought he was acting the whole time!

If only she knew.

James looked over at Captain Harkness when he came towards them. "Adam, the old girl back at the house just called. There's been a problem."

"What flowers need mending now?"

"No, not that. Apparently Rose left with her feathers all bunched up. Litchfield wants you to go to the train station pronto and smooth them down."

Adam sighed before standing up. "No rest for the gorgeous"

James looked on, his heart pounding. Why was Rose upset? What had happened? Could he get the train station before Adam?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS READ THIS!!! It means so much to me that people have enjoyed it so! And if you haven't, you have to read the book and watch the movie. They are both fantastic in their own right!

Having already gotten her train ticket, Rose sat in the station, her leg jittery as she thought about the past two weeks. More accurately, Adam's behavior towards her. It made perfect sense, when she thought about it. Adam was the "rebel" one, the one that made the whole trip exciting. Mrs. Litchfield could probably tell that that would be right up Rose's alley. She wondered when the old geezer put that plan into motion. Was it early on, or later into the trip? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

So of course, right when her blood was rushing--both from anger and embarrassment--would she hear an announcer say on the gritty intercom, "This is a passenger announcement. Can Rose Tyler please report to the information desk? Rose Tyler to the information desk? Thank you."

Rose looked up, wondering what in God's name could possibly be happening now, when she gathered up her suitcase and her "I Heart Mr. Darcy" bag and went towards the desk. "Er, hi, I'm Rose Tyler."

The bored attendant just pointed to something over Rose's shoulder. She turned around to see Adam standing there wearing jeans and a The Who t-shirt. Rose rolled her eyes and looked away, but Adam came closer saying, "Rose, I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry you didn't know, okay? I'd still like to spend the night together, if that's okay?"

Rose gave a humorless laugh before yelling, "You are an _actor_!" She started to walk away when Adam reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, but--"

Rose turned back. "What? You're desperately in love with me? And-and what, these sudden--these sudden passionate feeling that sent you running after me have _nothing_ to do with Mrs. Litchfield's fear that I'm going to report her injustice when it comes to treating her guests?"

"Of course not," Adam insisted.

"Right," Rose replied, not believing him.

"I know it all seems shady, but romances have blooded on stonier ground."

Rose's eyebrows crinkled. "That's a line, isn't it? That's from a script, yeah?"

Adam at least looked embarrassed. "Yeah, but so what? I'm the one standing here saying it!"

Suddenly another figure was running towards them, and Rose was stunned (actually shocked) when she realized it was Mr. Noble. Unlike Adam, he did not change out of his costume, and therefore looked a bit ridiculous running towards her wearing his 1800s garments. He looked so relieved when he saw her, his flushed face smiling when he finally caught up to them.

"Rose!" he yelled joyfully, unsuccessfully jumping over suitcases. But he picked himself quickly and sprinted over to them. "You haven't left yet!"

"Jolly good," Adam muttered sarcastically. "The perfect hero is here to save the day."

Rose had mixed feelings about seeing Mr. Noble panting in front of her. On one hand it was nice to be chased after two men. And Mrs. Litchfield did state that it was not in Mr. Noble's contract for him to go after Rose, which made her curious on why he did after all. But on the other hand, they were both actors, and Rose did threaten the woman in charge with bad press.

Still taking deep breaths, Mr. Noble pointed at Adam and stated, "You can't believe a word he says! He was paid to be with you! He's an actor!"

"I know."

That seemed to give Mr. Noble pause. "Oh."

"The question is, why are _you_ here?" Rose asked.

Mr. Noble fixed his long coat before saying, "Well, because I--I came here to tell you that I--" He took a step closer. "I'm new to working at Austenland, but from what everyone's told me, all the women are exactly alike. Empty. Hallow. There because they are looking for a cheap thrill." Rose knew for certain that the thrill was not exactly cheap, but she didn't say anything. "But you...you were so different. You were full of life and excitement and you..." He smiled, and Rose's heart speed up just a tiny bit. But it always did when a cute guy smiled at her, actor or not, so she ignored it. "You made me laugh. You were tough. You fought back and questioned me, and according to Jack, that doesn't happen often."

"Who's Jack?" she asked.

"Captain Harkness," both men answered.

"Ah."

"I tried to tell you," he continued. "Last night in the alcove. I wanted to know if you were...If you felt it as well."

"Come on, Rose, you're not buying any of this, are you? This is a load of crap!"

"Don't talk to me like we're friends, Adam, because I can assure you, we most certainly are not. You--You were paid to _kiss_ me! You were paid to play with my feelings!"

"And you think Darcy here wasn't?"

"Mr. _Noble_ never took advantage of me the way you did!" Rose yelled. People were starting to look over at them, and the attendant was no longer bored, watching this whole exchange like it was her soap opera.

Rose looked around and her face flushed noticing everyone watching them. She closed her eyes as she said, "This is so embarrassing!"

"Rose, be honest," Adam said, "you were acting too at some point!" Rose shook her head, but before she could say anything, he continued. "Look, before you go and make your report, you should know, gorgeous, that what we had was real."

Mr. Noble scoffed. "No you didn't. What we had," he said gesturing towards himself and Rose, "was real."

"Oh please." Adam rolled his eyes.

"Do I detect jealousy there, my flagpole-like friend?" Mr. Noble said. "Still upset that my aunt would rather bring in a newbie that promote you from head gardener!"

"Wait, you're aunt is Mrs. Litchfield?"

But neither of them heard Rose, because Adam took a swing at Mr. Noble, who ducked and rammed into his body, pushing both to the ground. The attendant jumped to her feet, suddenly very interested in what was happening.

"Stop it!" Rose yelled, grabbing onto Adam's shoulder and trying to pull them apart. There weren't so much as fighting as they were just rolling around on the ground. Rose slipped and landed on the both of them. She tried to get up, but they were both fighting the other as well as both trying to help Rose up. "Stop it! Stop it! _Stop it!"_ she finally screamed.

All three were back on their feet, all panting. "This has gone from embarrassing, to downright humiliating, I hope you both know that."

"He started it," Adam said, rubbing his arm.

"What are you, five?" Mr. Noble asked, rubbing his chin.

Adam was about to say something else before Rose held up her hand. "Shut up. Both of you. Right now. I have had _enough_!" Taking a deep breath, she said much quieter, "That felt good. I should have done that a long time ago." Noticing a chair, Rose went over to it and climbed up on it. To everyone in the station, Rose proclaimed, "Did you hear that Leadsworth?! I have had _enough!_ I am official over it!"

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, the 1:45 train to King's Cross is now boarding._ "

Rose pointed up to the speaker. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my exit cue." Getting down from chair, Rose gave both men a mock salute and said, "Boys, it's been a pleasure." She started walking towards the gate when Mr. Noble gently reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Look, Rose, Rose, Rose, wait." She stopped and turned towards him. "I never lied to you."

Rose looked at him for a moment before leaning in and whispering in his ear, "It doesn't even matter that you weren't real. You were perfect. Thank you." Then, before she lost her nerve, she kissed him quickly on the cheek and ran towards the train.

 

~*~

 

           

When Rose finally reached her apartment, she leaned heavily against the closed door and looked around her apartment. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her suitcase into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and was thankful that she was in her own room, in her own apartment, in the twenty first century.

This trip taught her many, many things but most of all it taught her to live in the present. Real or not real, Adam had showed her that contented spinsterhood was not an option. And real or not real, Mr. Noble had helped her to say no to Mr. Darcy. Austenland had done it's job; it showed her that were was no Mr. Darcy who would come to her during the sunrise and proclaim his undying love for her. And that was okay. Mr. Darcy may not be real, but there was a man out there- somewhere out there - that was perfect for Rose. She just had to remember not to compare him to the best fictional man in existence.

It was while she was dosing that a thought accord to her: her bet with Donna. That seemed like a lifetime ago, but she remembered they made a small bet. If Rose had a fantastic time, Donna was going to name her son Darcy. But if Rose had an awful time, she was to take down everything in her house that was Jane Austen.

Getting up, Rose started in the bedroom. Taking down everything that had to do with Jane Austen and/or _Pride and Prejudice_. Getting black bags, Rose filled about three bags before she called it quits. She then sat down to watch some mindless television before deciding her suitcase wasn't going to unpack itself.

As Rose unpacked the last of her things, she picked up her mobile and dialed for Donna, who picked up just before the voicemail would be activated.

“ _Hey there. So, tell me, how was the nineteenth century_?”

“Oh, Donna, I don’t know where to begin,” she said, somewhat deflated.

“ _Oh no. You didn’t have a good time?_ ”

“It’s not that, it’s just…Look, can you come over? Please? I just need to talk this out with someone.”

“ _Yeah, of course. I’ll be over as quick as I can._ ”

“Thanks,” Rose said before hanging up. She walked into her kitchen and began making a pot of tea, this moment in desperate need of some tea. She was just pulling out a tin of biscuits when there was a knock on the door.

“Wow, that was quick. Come on in.” The door opened, but Rose continued on making the tea, adding some leaves to the strainer. “You want a cuppa?” she called out.

“Yeah, thanks. That’ll be lovely.”

Dropping her spoon in shock, Rose quickly turned around and found not her best friend, but rather Mr. Noble standing there. He looked so different, but at the same time, the same. Instead of breeches and a waistcoat, he was wearing jeans and a Star Wars t-shirt with a sports jacket on top of it. On his feet were a pair of converses. But his hair was still completely rumbled, as though he was running his fingers through it the entire way here. And he looked nervous, but at the same time very determined.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, once she was able to catch her voice.

“Oh, you, ah, forgot this,” he said, handing her her sketch book that she didn’t even notice he was holding.

“Oh. Thanks.” Taking it she added, “You could have just mailed it.”

He opened his mouth, as though about to say something. It was like he was trying to figure out why he didn’t think of that.

“Yes, yes, I could have. I just…” Looking at her, he gave a chuckle before shaking his head. “I’ll just go now.”

He walked towards the door, and Rose was still trying to figure out what in blazes was going on. What was he doing here? Did he really come just to return her book? Or did Mrs. Litchfield send him? To make sure that she didn’t actually write about Austenland?

With that thought in mind, Rose called out, “Wait!”

He just stepped out of the door, but turned around. Rose walked quickly over to him, putting the book on her dining room table as she passed it.

“Look, you can tell Mrs. Litchfield I’m not actually going to write an expose on Austenland, okay? I don’t have that kind of seniority. So I think sending you here to convince me not to write it was a bit overkill.”

“She didn’t send me” was all he said.

“Oh. Then why are you here?”

He looked down before rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “I—I just…God, this is difficult. I meant what I said earlier. And the night of the ball. I—I mean, what I said…”

“But that was you acting. I mean, you were paid to flirt with me.”

“No, I wasn’t, actually. I was suppose to chase after Miss Oswald until Ian showed up. I—I kind of came to work there by chance. Jack has worked there for many years, and when he told me that they needed someone to fill in the gap for a bit, I thought _Why not?_ I mean, I had the summer off because…well, I’m actually a history professor.”

“Mr. Noble—”

“McCrimmon, actually. My name is actually James McCrimmon. Mrs. Litchfield didn’t think that that was a name from the nineteenth century, so she asked me to pick another name.”

“Oh. But I—I don’t understand why you’re here.” Rose felt like she understood perfectly, but was just trying to keep her pride in check.

“I had not been at Austenland long when you showed up. I mean, the other men had told me stories about women that had arrived, and I was preparing myself for them. But then _you_ came along."

“You don’t know me! You know Miss Wolfe!”

“I’ve seen your acting, remember? It’s horrible.”

“No, you were horrible! I was…I wasn’t great.”

“But _that’s_ my point! Neither of us are good actors! I knew the moment we took the stage that Miss Wolfe…that was you! You were not trying to pretend to be someone you’re not, and I…” He paused before continuing. “I tried to stay away from you, but it was hopeless. Jack, Captain Harkness, he told me not to get personally involved with the guests, that it made things complicated, and I was doing alright. I wasn’t getting involved and things were going good. And then you came and I just…”

“This is insane!” Rose said, throwing her arms up in the air. “You’re a fantasy! _My_ fantasy and…and…fantasies don’t come true!”

“Rose, have you ever stopped and realized that maybe you’re _my_ fantasy?”

“Mr. Noble…”

“James,” he said with a grin.

She smiled back. “James. I…this almost too perfect.”

He was standing so much closer to her. She could barely breathe. “There’s something to be said for perfection.”

“James,” she tried again, but this time he captured her mouth with his. The words were taken right from her, not that she cared. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his down closer. He chuckled against her mouth, a smile breaking through. When he pulled back, he seemed almost in a daze.

“Tally-ho?” Rose muttered, in a bit of a fog.

“Tally-ho,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up off the ground. Rose shrieked with laughter and James laughed louder than he ever remembered.

**EPILOGUE**

Donna was not happy about having to name her firstborn son Darcy. But since Rose was so damn content with her husband, James, Donna figured it was a small price to pay for happiness.


End file.
